About the Author

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.

Reviews

A NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller Best Classic Bands, "Best Music Books of 2023" Town & Country, "Must-Read Books of Fall 2023" AudioFile, EarPhones Award Winner Cleveland.com, "The Season's Top Music Books"

"The book is gold for any longtime fan, new admirer or classic rock aficionado. There is such a plethora of engaging stories here... SCATTERSHOT stands high amongst the very best rock-and-roll memoirs. --BookReporter

"...[A] legendary writer... Taupin tells the story of how he and John developed the sound that would make them superstars and honestly chronicles life in the spotlight--for better and worse--giving readers a singular look behind the curtain of both incredible artistry and global superstardom."--Town & Country

"A collection of amusing anecdotes assembled by a charming raconteur."--Washington Post

"A fascinating read."--Associated Press

"A great read."--New York Journal of Books

"A memoir that doesn't skimp on wild rockstar revelations or touching tales of friendship and self-discovery... a thoroughly entertaining and enlightening read."--Daily Beast

"Fascinating... a wild array of colorful anecdotes and drunken adventures... [with] plenty of tasty revelations along the way."--Vulture

"Illuminating and entertaining."--PopMatters

"[Taupin] describes meeting [Elton John] and their famous longtime collaboration and friendship. He revisits their early years, through John's megastardom, with plenty of wild times along the way."--AARP

"Fans of the two artists [Elton John and Bernie Taupin]... should check this out. For the less-initiated, Taupin has a lot to say, and it shouldn't be missed."--Booklist

"Written in a highly entertaining, articulate style with a wickedly acidic sense of humor, this book sets a new standard for rock biographies."--Library Journal

"Eloquent and inspiring, Scattershot is a freewheeling memoir that is as warm and evocative as Bernie Taupin's most memorable lyrics. A born storyteller, Taupin gives us the life of an artist whose outlook was shaped by a rare but fascinating blend of lifelong innocence and endless intellectual curiosity."--Robert Hilburn, author of Johnny Cash: The Life

"I simply wouldn't write songs without Bernie Taupin. I've read every word he's ever written and there could never be enough of them to satiate my need for Bernie's way of seeing the world. Scattershot, though, is a lifting of the veil, as beautifully written as it is honest and rugged. Reading this book brought me face to face with who he truly is: an empathic genius who speaks to the everyman."--Brandi Carlile

"In Bernie Taupin's miraculous memoir Scattershot you'll meet legends, cowboys, geniuses, unforgettable faces in the night, shady purveyors of outrageous fortune, warriors of the heart, and most of all, Taupin himself. Hilarious and so emotionally true, Scattershot is like a letter from a cherished friend. You'll want to keep it close, so you can read it again and again."--Cameron Crowe

"Orgasmic. Every page of Scattershot is a delight, a joy, a name-dropper fan's delight. Divine. I couldn't put it down."--Pete Townshend

"This is the most glorious of books. I am besotted by the life I never knew he had."--Elton John

"Touching. Charming. Humble. Witty. And exquisitely written. Taupin's words need no musical accompaniment. They sing with a poet's voice."--Gary Oldman