Me (book)

Me is the autobiography of the English singer, pianist and composer Elton John. It was released on 15 October 2019 by Macmillan Publishers. It was ghostwritten by journalist Alexis Petridis,[1] who worked on the book with John for three and a half years.[2]

Me
AuthorElton John
Audio read byTaron Egerton
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
GenreAutobiography
Published15 October 2019
PublisherMacmillan Publishers
Pages350
ISBN1-509-85331-6

Overview

The book recounts events from John's childhood in Pinner through to his final tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road.[3] He describes his depression and suicide attempts as well as drug addiction and his prostate cancer diagnosis.[4] He admits he spent his whole career "trying to show my father what I'm made of".[5] He explains the reasons behind his advocacy against AIDS.[6]

Comments on Michael Jackson

In the book, despite being good friends with him, John said that the American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson was "genuinely mentally ill" and "disturbing to be around".[7] The comments arose from a lunch John hosted to introduce his husband David Furnish to Jackson in 1993.[8][9]

Publication

Me was released by Macmillan Publishers on 15 October 2019. Excerpts read by Taron Egerton (who portrayed John in the biographical film Rocketman) aired on BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week in the first week of its release.[5]

Reception

Hadley Freeman, a writer for The Guardian, called the book "racy, pacy and crammed with scurrilous anecdotes", saying: "Elton makes fun of no one more than himself. He is utterly, astonishingly, hilariously self-lacerating."[2]

Variety dubbed the book "deeply dishy".[10]

A Time review said: "Like John’s songs, Me overflows with whimsical characters, twisted humor, winking self-aggrandizement and stark pathos. True to his spirit, it's a little silly and over the top, but it's also an absorbing and unfettered joy."[3]

In The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick said: "If you are in the market for an autobiography crammed with sex, drugs and rock and roll, Elton is clearly your man."[11]

In The Times, Will Hodgkinson said that John's "sad, funny memoir reveals the insecurities that drive his needy behaviour."[12]

References
  1. Aizlewood, John (14 October 2019). "Me by Elton John: cocaine, mummy issues and dinner with Michael Jackson". inews. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  2. Freeman, Hadley (16 October 2019). "Me by Elton John review – hilariously self-lacerating". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  3. Chow, Andrew R. (15 October 2019). "Elton John's Autobiography 'Me' Is a Cautionary Tale of Modern Fame—With Gossip to Boot". Time. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  4. "Elton John's autobiography is full of warmth and candour – review". The Independent. 14 October 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-05-12. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  5. Savage, Mark (15 October 2019). "Elton John: 'I still want my dad's approval'". BBC News. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  6. Maslin, Janet (10 October 2019). "Elton John Puts Down in Words How Wonderful (and Weird) Life Has Been". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  7. Dicker, Ron (15 October 2019). "Elton John Calls Michael Jackson A 'Disturbing Person To Be Around'". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  8. Ryan, Patrick (16 October 2019). "Elton John calls Michael Jackson 'mentally ill,' Tina Turner a 'nightmare' in new book". USA TODAY. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  9. Curto, Justin (15 October 2019). "Elton John Describes a Bizarre Lunch With Michael Jackson in New Memoir". Vulture. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  10. Willman, Chris (16 October 2019). "Recappin' Fantastic: The Most Fascinating Reveals From Elton John's Memoir". Variety. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  11. McCormick, Neil (9 October 2019). "Elton John, Me review: all the sex, drugs and showbiz gossip you could want". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  12. Hodgkinson, Will (10 October 2019). "Me by Elton John review — fame, sex and bad potty training". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
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