Rocket Man: The Life of Elton John

Bego (Michael!) narrates the ups and downs of musician Elton John’s career and music in this fawning set of fan’s notes. Drawing on interviews with John’s colleagues and on archival research, Bego chronicles Reginald Dwight’s (he would become Elton John in 1967) childhood in 1940s and ’50s Middlesex, England, where he developed a love of piano and rock and roll, and overcame his shyness through his outrageous performances. He experienced early musical success in the late 1960s with Long John Baldry and Rod Stewart, before gaining international acclaim in the 1970s, fueled by albums such as Madman Across the Water, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and 11-17-70. In the 1980s, John fell into alcohol and cocaine abuse, encountered financial problems, and struggled in his relationships; by the 1990s, however, he recovered and began playing sold-out stadium tours with Billy Joel, and found a younger audience when he performed “Candle in the Wind” at Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997. Bego marches rapidly through John’s career in the 21st century, highlighting albums such as 2004’s Peachtree Road and the 2019 biopic Rocketman. In breathless prose, Bego cheerleads for John: “Is he a musical genius? Definitely. Is there more great music coming from Elton John? Years worth... Is he a ‘mad genius’? Absolutely.” This will be of most interest to diehard John fans. (Jan.)