Elton John is a musical phemonemon whose lifestyle has shoked and delighted the British public for well over a decade.

For the first time, in this candid biography, Elton John's private and public life is laid bare. What were the musical influences that created his inimitable style and gave him unprecedented success, not only in Britain but in the United States? How carefully constructed are Elton John's showbiz extravaganzas on stage? What is the truth about the man behind the glitz - a truly private man?

In 1967 Elton John was Reggie Dwight a bespectacled pub pianist. He answered an advertisement in New Musical Express for musical talent and met as a result his lyricist Bernie Taupin. Three years later he was being hailed on both sides of the Atlantic as the saviour of rock 'n' roll.

In the years that followed, Elton was hardly ever out of the headlines. His string ofalbums and hit singles; his self-proclaimed bisexuality in 1976; his chairmanship of Watford Football Club; and his marriage to his recording engineer, Renate Blauel, all made major news stories.

Barry Toberman has interviewed many of Elton's friends and associates to write the story of a superstar.