Scattershot

Scattershot by Bernie Taupin is an enthralling memoir that invites readers into the fascinating world of one of the most iconic lyricists in music history. Known primarily for his extraordinary partnership with Elton John, Taupin reveals in captivating detail the experiences and inspirations that have shaped his illustrious career.

Scattershot spans a lifetime of rich anecdotes and soul-stirring stories, reflecting on a journey from his modest beginnings in the East Midlands of England, where his imagination was ignited by American country music and the mythos of cowboys, to the excess and glamour of 1970s and 1980s Beverly Hills. Readers will find themselves immersed in the trials and triumphs of a creative mind that has been both in the spotlight and on its fringes, always capturing life's essence with the unique perspective only an artist of Taupin's calibre can provide.

Elton John praises the memoir saying, "This is the most glorious of books. I am besotted by the life I never knew he had." Pete Townshend echoes this sentiment, describing the book as, "orgasmic. Every page of Scattershot is a delight, a joy, a name-dropper fan's delight. Divine. I couldn't put it down."

Cameron Crowe offers a vivid portrayal of the memoir's appeal: "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."

Gary Oldman adds an artistic touch, calling the book, "Touching. Charming. Humble. Witty. And exquisitely written. Taupin's words need no musical accompaniment. They sing with a poet’s voice." Robert Hilburn, author of Johnny Cash: The Life states, "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."

Taupin himself reflects in the book, "I loved writing, I loved chronicling life and every moment I was cogent, sober, or blitzed, I was forever feeding off my surroundings, making copious notes as ammunition for future compositions. . . . The thing is good, bad or indifferent I never stopped writing, it was as addictive as any drug."

This is the memoir music fans have been waiting for. Half of one of the greatest creative partnerships in popular music, Bernie Taupin is the man who wrote the lyrics for Elton John, who conceived the ideas that spawned countless hits, and sold millions and millions of records. Together, they were a duo, a unit, an immovable object. Their extraordinary, half-century-and-counting creative relationship has been chronicled in biopics (like 2019's Rocketman) and even John's own autobiography, Me. But Taupin, a famously private person, has kept his own account of their adventures close to his chest, until now.

Written with honesty and candour, Scattershot allows the reader to witness events unfolding from Taupin's singular perspective, sometimes front and centre, sometimes from the edge, yet always described vibrantly, with an infectious energy that only a vivid songwriter's prose could offer. From his childhood in the East Midlands of England whose imagination was sparked and forever informed by the distinctly American mythopoetics of country music and cowboys, to the glittering, star-studded fishbowl of '70s and '80s Beverly Hills, Scattershot is simultaneously a Tom Jones-like picaresque and the intimate journey of a poetic soul.

Engrossing and deeply human, Scattershot is not just a memoir; it is a masterclass in living, loving, creating, and most importantly, writing. It is a book to be cherished, reread, and shared amongst friends, a testament to a life fully lived and richly recounted.