Sir Elton John: A Living Legend Gets His Due
Last year, Sir Elton John released a stunning autobiography on the heels of the big screen debut of a blockbuster musical that chronicled his early life. On their own, each project was an impressive tribute to the legend’s brilliance, accomplishments, and longevity. Taken in tandem, they come about as close as anything ever has to paying proper tribute to a living musical legend.
One of the first articles I ever wrote for Medium was about the legacy of Sir Elton John. (Note: That article can be found here). At the time I wrote the article in 2018, there was tremendous buzz surrounding the launch of his multi-year farewell tour (which he adamantly claimed would be his last). The buzz included a pair of tribute albums featuring some of the most famous musical artists in the world, yet another remastering and reissuing of his greatest hits catalogue, and even a primetime special. On paper, these were all fitting tributes to the legend’s career. In execution, however, they all fell short.
I found myself regretting the critical tone of that article the following year when two astonishing monuments to Sir Elton John’s legacy were unveiled. The first was Dexter Fletcher’s biopic Rocketman, which hit theaters in May, and the second was John’s autobiography Me, which followed in October. Both are impressive artistic feats on their own, but when viewed…
