[image error] Christened Reginald Dwight, he was a shy boy with Buddy Holly glasses who grew up in the London suburb of Pinner and dreamed of becoming a pop star. By the age of twenty-three, he was on his first tour of America, facing an astonished audience in his tight silver hotpants, bare legs and a T-shirt with ROCK AND ROLL emblazoned across it in sequins. Elton John had arrived and the music world would never be the same again.

I listened to this on audiobook and it’s narrated by Elton and Taran Edgerton, who plays Elton in Rocketman. The narration was fantastic and complimented the book so well. I always knew Elton had had a spicy old life, but I hadn’t realised exactly how spicy!  Typical day in the life of Elton at his spiciest went along the lines of: ‘Got up at midday. Wrote Candle in the Wind. Massive bowl of cocaine. Princess Margaret and Ringo Starr came over for tea.’

He’s famously cleared up his act now and is living in domestic bliss with Davis Furnish and their two sons, and although that part of the book is interesting too, the best bit is the sex drugs and rock n roll years. Obviously. Also, I didn’t buy the bit where Elton tries to tell us in all seriousness that the parents at his sons’ school don’t bat an eyelid when he comes to pick them up in the afternoon. Seriously? If he showed up at my kids’ school, he would be met with a rousing chorus of ‘OH MY GOD IT’S ELTON JOHN!!!!’

5 stars