Bernie Taupin: His Story — An Archived Biography
This page preserves text from the former berniejtaupin.com website. It is presented as an archived historical record. Details reflect the site as it stood when the material was written and should not be read as current information about availability, ownership, events, or activities.
Early Years in Lincolnshire
The archived biography describes Bernie Taupin's beginnings in Lincolnshire, England. He was born in 1950; his father is described as having a French military background and his mother as unconventional in her English manner. The family, according to the source, went without electricity until Taupin was five. He was the middle of three sons and developed a strong interest in the American Old West.
A Partnership Begins
As a young man, the account states, Taupin faced the prospect of factory work. He responded to an advertisement placed by Liberty Records in London, a step the source credits with redirecting his life toward artistic work. In 1967, Ray Williams, seeking a lyricist for a young piano-playing singer then known as Reg Dwight, brought the two together. Dwight soon adopted the name Elton John. Taupin supplied lyrics and John the music; the pair became friends and found common ground in music, film, and literature.
Recorded Achievements Cited
The archived page lists the following figures for the John–Taupin partnership:
- More than 35 Gold and 25 Platinum albums
- 30 consecutive US Top 40 hits
- Over 255 million records sold worldwide
- The best-selling single of all time, "Candle in the Wind '97," at over 33 million copies
It also notes that Taupin's lyrics for Elton John albums from Empty Sky through Wonderful Crazy Night were collected on the site, alongside his solo records and Farm Dogs releases.
Awards and Honors
Among the honors the source mentions are a Golden Globe for Best Original Song (won in 2005, with nominations in 2004 and 2012), eight Ivor Novello Awards, and the 2013 induction of "Your Song" into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Taupin was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992, and in 2013 he and Elton John received the Johnny Mercer Award.
The Brown Dirt Cowboy and Farm Dogs
In the early 1990s, the biography says, Taupin pursued the life of his alter ego, the Brown Dirt Cowboy, competing in the equestrian sport of cutting and appearing at weekend horse shows. He became a part owner of the bucking bull Little Yellow Jacket, attended PBR events, and hosted an annual cutting competition at his Santa Barbara County ranch. He also wrote, recorded, and toured with his Americana band, Farm Dogs.
Visual Art and Radio
The source states that Taupin has made abstract and contemporary mixed-media work since the early 1990s. It cites exhibitions at galleries including KM Fine Art, Mark Borghi Fine Art, and Waterhouse + Dodd, and appearances at Art Miami, Art Aspen, and Art Southampton in 2015. In 2016, images of his piece "Sleeping Beauty" were used at the entrance of Art Wynwood in Miami. In 2010 he began American Roots Radio, a satellite radio program co-hosted and produced by Paca Thomas, broadcast twice monthly from his Central California ranch. The source says the program ran 100 shows without repeating a track and aired until 2015.
Later Highlights Noted
The archived page records two further events: inducting Willie Dixon into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June 2015, and a private tour of Willem de Kooning's home in the Hamptons.
All statements above are drawn from the archived source and are retained for historical reference only.