Monoray
Monoray
Monoray
Monoray
Monoray
An evocative, clear-eyed, and revealing memoir by Bernie Taupin, the lyrical master and longtime collaborator of Elton John.
*THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER*
*A Times Best Music Book of 2023*
'Glorious! I am besotted by the life I never knew he had.' -Elton John
'Self deprecating and refreshingly honest' - Sunday Times
'Divine. I couldn't put it down.' -Pete Townshend
'Hilarious and so emotionally true' -Cameron Crowe
'Taupin's words need no musical accompaniment. They sing with a poets voice.' -Gary Oldman
'Eloquent and inspiring' -Robert Hilburn, author of Johnny Cash: The LifeIn this exciting, multi-decade whirlwind, we ride shotgun with Bernie on his extraordinary life. We discover early '70s New York with Elton on the cusp of global fame. We spend late night hours with John Lennon, with Bob Marley, and hanging with Frank Sinatra in LA. We witness memorable encounters with Graham Greene, Salvador Dali , Andy Warhol and scores of notable misfits, miscreants, eccentrics, and geniuses, some of whom inspire the indelible lyrics to songs such as Tiny Dancer, Candle in the Wind, Bennie and The Jets, and so many more.
Written with honesty and candour, Scattershot bears witness to events unfolding from Taupin's singular perspective, always with an infectious energy that only a songwriter's vivid prose could offer - his imagination sparked by country music and cowboy culture. From his East Midlands childhood and early London days with Elton to the star-studded fishbowl of '70s and '80s Beverly Hills, it is an epic, picaresque journey across a landscape of unforgettable characters and locations, as well as a striking, first-hand account of a creative era like no other.
Bernie Taupin is an English lyricist who has worked in partnership with legendary singer, composer, pianist, and worldwide icon Elton John since 1967 and has written the lyrics for most of John's famous hits, including "Rocket Man," "Candle in the Wind," "Crocodile Rock", "Your Song," "I'm Still Standing," and countless others. One of the most successful and long-running musical collaborations in music history, John and Taupin received the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a lifetime achievement Grammy, an Academy Award, and many more. In 2022, Taupin was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to music, and in 2023 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He lives in Southern California.