There probably will not be another musician that will be as iconic, mesmerizing and immortal as that of Sir Elton John.
He has influenced artists after him, crafted our childhoods with "The Lion King," and has smashed the box office this year with his biopic "Rocketman." And now he is currently embarking on his international "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour (which I'll be attending in June in Chicago!).
If the man hasn't done enough to make us smile or cry with his music and life, Sir Elton is back yet again with his new autobiography, titled "Me."
This book covers literally every aspect of John's life, something that the "Rocketman" film has only scratched the surface with. We can get an inside look with his troubled relationship with his parents: his workaholic mother who never really accepted him as a gay man and a father who never made a concerted effort to remain in his life.
John also talks about his career beginnings as a musician. He takes us through the tumultuous adventures as a member of his jazz band Bluesology and how he eventually became christened Elton John (his real name being Reginald Dwight). And of course, he writes of his unbreakable relationship with fellow songwriter and best friend Bernie Taupin, who has been at his side now for the past 50 years.
But with fun comes heartbreak. John doesn't shy away from his personal issues either. He mentions his close relationship with the late legend Freddie Mercury of Queen and how his death from HIV/AIDS inspired him to establish the Elton John AIDS Foundation. As a gay man, it took John until his twenties to reconcile his relationship with his sexuality; now he is consistently active in LGBTQ issues, though he remains apprehensive on becoming thoroughly political. And as noted in "Rocketman," John tells his long struggle with drug addiction and how it nearly ruined his career and ended his life.
A man that has been in the public eye for decades, Sir Elton John finally gets to tell his story in a candidly written autobiography. This book is essential reading for anyone mildly into Sir Elton, and will become the primary source for historians in the generations to come.
For almost 40 years, Elton has told us that this is our song, but now it is our turn to say to him that this is your book.