Who is Bernie Taupin? Everything You Need to Know (2024)

Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In May

Also Known As: Bernard John Taupin

Age: 74 Years, 74 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Heather Lynn Hodgins Kidd (2004 - ), Maxine Feibelman (1971–1976), Stephanie Haymes Roven (1993–1998), Toni Russo (1979–1991)

children: Charley Indiana Taupin

Born Country: England

Quotes By Bernie Taupin Musicians

Height: 5'6" (168 cm), 5'6" Males

Ancestry: British American

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Childhood & Early Life

Bernie Taupin was born Bernard John Taupin on May 22, 1950 in Flatters farmhouse, in rural Lincolnshire, England that was located between Anwick and Sleaford. His father was a farmer and his mother used to work as a nanny.

His brother was good at studies and hence joined Grammar School but Bernie was different. Since an early age he had impeccable writing skills which he inherited from his mother as she had studied French Literature. He learned most of it from his grandfather who was a graduate from The University of Cambridge.

As he grew up, there was no electricity around his place till the time he turned 5 years old and the family also suffered financial troubles. He was brought up along with his other two brothers as the middle child to his parents. At the age of 15, he left his school and went on to work as a fresher with a local newspaper, The Lincolnshire Standard.

During his late teenage period, he reverted back to an advertisement in the local newspaper for a job offer for new songwriters. Although he was not selected, that changed his life forever. Ray Williams was looking out for a lyricist for Elton John’s song that became the reason for the collaboration between Elton and Bernie.

With a family background that had deep roots into arts and literature, Bernie’s growing up years left a great influence on him. The French literature that his mother had studied was the biggest influence on the early parts of his career as a lyricist.

Who is Bernie Taupin? Everything You Need to Know (5)

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Career

Bernie’s lyrics writing career officially kick-started in the late 60s by chance. Elton John was one of the talents in a major record company and he wanted to hire a lyricist. He somehow came across Bernie’s poems and out of many others, he liked them best. Bernie was immediately contacted and hence, he made a grand entrance into the world of songwriting.

Since then, Bernie has penned down several of Elton’s songs for almost four decades working together on thirty albums. There was also a time when Bernie and John worked with separate artists but somehow, they ended up coming back together time and again.

In the early 80s, their partnership blossomed when Bernie wroteElton John's albums such as ‘The Fox’, ’21 at 33’ and ‘Jump Up!’.

Both of them had worked occasionally during the 70s but the success of above mentioned albums formed a bond between the two. After the early 80s, Bernie started working as John’s primary lyricist.

Some of the best songs that Bernie wrote for John are ‘Rocket Man’, ‘Crocodile Rock’, ‘The Bitch is Back’, ‘Daniel’, ‘Sad Songs’, ‘Nikita’, ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ and ‘Your Song’. Through John’s international and national fan following, Bernie slowly started to attain fame as well. Side by side, he kept writing personally and for other musicians as well.

There was an interesting documentary made in 1991 titled ‘Two Rooms’, which went in details about the working process of the two artists. It explained that Bernie wrote the lyrics separately and would hand it over to John. Without even consulting Bernie and changing the lyrics to fit the music, Elton John simply recorded music on them. This was a very unusual process of working together, far away from the typical international standards.

However in the later years of their collaborations, the working process had become much more co-operative. For some specific songs, Bernie started visiting the recording studios with Elton John.

In March 2006, the collaboration was taken a few notches further when John and Bernie started working on a Broadway musical together, titled ‘Lestat: The Musical’. Bernie wrote the lyrics for all the 11 songs in the musical.

In the same year, they celebrated 40 years of collaboration with the release of Elton John’s album titled ‘The Captain and the Kid’. For the first time in his career, Bernie appeared on the album cover for the same.

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Bernie’s musical career is also filled with several more credits of working with other musicians. He worked with bands such as ‘Heart’ and ‘Starship’.

In the early 70s, he helped the musician David Ackles to produce his album ‘American Gothic’ and also wrote lyrics for the same. Although the album failed to perform exceptionally well sales wise, it did manage to rake in some broad critical acclaim from international and national music critics.

From time to time, Bernie has also produced solo albums. In 1971, he came out with his debut music album titled ‘Taupin’, which was basically a spoken word album of the poetry written by him. He further followed it with two more successful albums featuring his poetry titled ‘Tribe’ and ‘He Who Rides the Tiger’.

In the mid 90s, Bernie started a band named Farm Dogs and produced two albums titled ‘Last Stand in Open Country’ and ‘Immigrant Sons’. Both the albums were critically acclaimed and received praises for the lyrics and vocals.

In 1973, Bernie collected almost all of the lyrics written for John in a poetry book titled ‘Bernie Taupin: The One Who Writes the Word for Elton John’. Further, in the 90s, Bernie released a poetry collection titled ‘The Devil at High Noon’.

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Personal Life

Bernie Taupin has never had a stable relationship. He first got married in 1971 to Maxine Feibelman, but things didn’t work out between them and the couple parted ways in 1976.

Bernie fell in love with Toni Russo and they got married in 1979. This marriage too did not work for long and the two got divorced in 1991.

Two years later in 1993, Bernie got hitched for a third time to Stephanie Haymes Roven, but they separated in 1998.

In the year 2004, Bernie married Heather Lynn Hodgins Kidd and the couple is together since then.

Facts About Bernie Taupin

Bernie Taupin, the longtime collaborator of Elton John, is known for writing the lyrics to many of Elton John's biggest hits, including "Rocket Man," "Tiny Dancer," and "Your Song."

Taupin is also an accomplished visual artist, with his work being exhibited in galleries around the world.He often creates artwork inspired by his own lyrics and musical influences.

In addition to his work with Elton John, Taupin has collaborated with other artists such as Alice Cooper, Heart, and Rod Stewart, showcasing his versatility as a songwriter.

Taupin is a dedicated philanthropist, supporting various charitable causes over the years, including organizations focused on AIDS research and animal welfare.

Despite his successful career in music and art, Taupin is known for maintaining a relatively low profile and choosing to focus on his craft rather than seeking out fame and attention.

Who is Bernie Taupin? Everything You Need to Know (7)

Quotes: War

Who is Bernie Taupin? Everything You Need to Know (2024)

FAQs

Who is Bernie Taupin? Everything You Need to Know? ›

Bernard John Taupin CBE (born 22 May 1950) is an English lyricist and visual artist. He is best known for his songwriting partnership with Elton John, recognised as one of the most successful partnerships of its kind in history. Taupin is behind the majority of John's songs, dating back to the 1960s.

Who is Elton John's best friend? ›

In the 1960s, when Elton John was a back-up musician for British blues singer Long John Baldry, he was briefly engaged to a woman. In a new memoir, Elton's close friend and longtime lyricist, Bernie Taupin, describes this as a time of confusion for the singer that culminated in a potentially tragic incident.

Did Bernie Taupin write songs for other people? ›

Bernie Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer. In his long-term collaboration with Elton John, he has written the lyrics for most of John's songs. Over the years, he has written songs for a variety of other artists, including Alice Cooper, Heart, Melissa Manchester, Starship, Rod Stewart and Richie Sambora.

How many children does Bernie Taupin have? ›

He is a composer and actor, known for Rocketman (2019), Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Gnomeo & Juliet (2011). He has been married to Heather Lynn Hodgins Kidd since March 27, 2004. They have two children.

Who did Elton John wrote the song Tiny Dancer for? ›

Who did Elton John fall in love with? ›

Sir Elton John and David Furnish have an everlasting love story after connecting right off the bat. “He was very well dressed, very shy,” the “Rocketman” crooner told Parade in early 2010 of their first meeting in 1993. “We fell in love very quickly.

Did Elton John ever have a wife? ›

Who introduced Elton John to Bernie Taupin? ›

Collaboration with Elton John (1967–present) In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement for talent that was placed in the New Musical Express by Liberty Records A&R man Ray Williams. Elton John answered the same advert.

Where is Bernie Taupin's ranch? ›

The RoundUp Valley Ranch at the end of RoundUp Road in Santa Ynez Valley, CA is situated in 30 acres of land and was bought by Taupin 25 years ago. The main house is a Mediterranean style with five bedrooms and six bathrooms and there is a separate studio and office space.

What happened to Elton John's brother Daniel? ›

No, despite the words, John doesn't have a brother named Daniel. When he wrote the music, he dropped the last verse to Taupen's lyrics, which explained Daniel was a Vietnam vet who couldn't find peace after the war and decided to leave America.

Does Elton John have a twin brother? ›

How long has Bernie Taupin been married to his wife? ›

In 2005, he was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "A Love That Will Never Grow Old" for the movie Brokeback Mountain. He was played by Jamie Bell in the biopic movie Rocketman (2019). Taupin has been married four times and divorced three times. He has been married to Heather Kidd since 2004.

Who did Elton marry first? ›

He married his close friend and sound engineer, Renate Blauel, on Valentine's Day 1984; the marriage lasted three years. In 1984, he released Breaking Hearts, which featured the song "Sad Songs (Say So Much)", a number five hit in the US and number seven in the UK.

What does the name Elton mean? ›

Elton is a boy's name of English origins, meaning "from the old town" and "Ella's town." Often used as a surname, Elton is also familiar as a place name in England. The masculine title first rose to fame when singer-songwriter Elton John began making waves in the pop charts.

Did Elton John and Bernie Taupin split? ›

Although the partnership between John and Taupin hadn't been completely fractured, working without him likely felt like learning to tread water for the first time. Discussing this period of time with Rolling Stone, John recalled: “Bernie and I never split up.

What is the meaning behind Tiny Dancer? ›

Taupin also stated in a 1973 interview in Rolling Stone that the song is about Maxine Feibelman, his wife at the time. In 2019, Feibelman said, "I knew [the song] was about me.

Are Elton John and John Reid still friends? ›

Reid and John no longer speak

Reid continued in the music business until reportedly retiring in 1999, a year after divesting himself of an art collection allegedly worth £2 million.

Does Elton John have a relationship with his half brother? ›

He had forgotten they were there. They are against the law." Dwight's relationship with his famous brother broke down several years ago after he slammed Elton for 'vilifying' their father in his memoir. Elton's half-brother slammed the star for playing the 'blame card' and unfairly demonising their dad.

Are Eminem and Elton John friends? ›

Elton John and Eminem are great friends. They have spoken about their friendship in various interviews, and it started with their remarkable performance at the 2001 Grammy Awards, which was entirely unexpected. Elton John helped Eminem during his addiction recovery journey and often supported each other.

Where does Elton live now? ›

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