ME
By Elton John
Macmillan. 384 pages. £25
ISBN 978 1 509 853 311
In his autobiography, Me, to be published in paperback this autumn, Elton John describes vividly the traumas and chaos of his personal life. His story is very relevant to the current debate about ‘Conversion Therapy’, in which he plays a significant role.
Born in 1947, his father was a flight lieutenant in the RAF and was often away from home. He writes very negatively about him. His father saw emotion as a weakness. He never expressed warmth to his son nor took an interest in what he was doing. In particular, he didn’t like his music, never affirmed him or showed that he loved him. As an adult, Elton had little to do with his father and chose not to attend his funeral. His parents had an unhappy marriage and his mother was miserable and bad tempered.
