Elton John biography ; a life in pictures

A student of the Royal Academy of Music in London, playing piano in a band called Bluesology hit the big time in 1970. He plays with John Lennon, becomes the first westerner to perform in Soviet Russia and tours the world in his own private jumbo jet playing to two million people on four continents.

With over 30 albums, and an endless production line of singles that rank among the 20th century's greatest classics, he accumulates five Grammys, 11 Ivor Novellos and an Oscar. In 1998 he is knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Along the way he buys a football club, establishes one of the world's major charities and art collections, collects accolades his peers can only dream of and caps his 60th birthday with his 60th performance at Madison Square Garden.

There are performers, there are rock stars and then there is Sir Elton John. This is the story of the man and the making of the legend - his life, in pictures, from his earliest adventures on the trail of fame to the hallowed halls of superstardom. Intimate, exhausting, passionate, private, Elton at work, Elton at play, Elton on the road, Elton at home, Elton the clown, Elton the rockstar, Elton the man behind the myth.

Terry O'Neill's camera has chronicled the careers of the greatest names in showbusiness, from Frank Sinatra and The Beatles to Hollywood stars. But no-one appeared before his lens more than Sir Elton John. What began as a photo-shoot with the new kid on the pop block in the early 70s, developed into a friendship and photographic partnership that spanned decades. This book is the legacy of that relationship. It is called the Eltonography because it is an exhaustive biography of the landscape of a mesmerising life; a stunning collection of photographs many never seen before, drawn from an archive of thousands that will trigger memories, amazement and surprise at the breadth of Sir Elton John's Life In Pictures.