Photo: Shawn Miller/Library of Congress / CC0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Bernie Taupin is proof that the lyricist can be as vital as the voice. For over fifty years he's been the words behind Elton John, and Your Song, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Candle in the Wind aren't just hits, they're the architecture of a whole era. What gets me is the working method: Bernie writes the words, Elton sets them, often fast, and somehow it keeps producing classics. The 2020 Oscar and the 2023 Rock Hall induction were overdue. He's English, born 1950, not American as listed. One of the great unsung partnerships in popular music, full stop.
Overview
Bernard John Taupin (taw-PIN; 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 co-wrote the majority of John's songs, dating back to the 1960s.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Bernie Taupin
- Name (Japanese)
- バーニー・トーピン
- Reading
- ばーにー・とーぴん
- Born
- May 22, 1950 (age 76)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Tiger
- Origin
- Ruskington, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- poet / lyricist / musician / composer / singer-songwriter
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2013 Johnny Mercer Award
- 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- 2020 Academy Award for Best Original Song
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Your Song | — | |
| Notable work | Candle in the Wind / Bennie And The Jets | — | |
| Notable work | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | — |
6. Links
Poet — see all → · Lyricist — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.