Bernie Taupin Discusses Longevity, Anonymity and New Solo Album

Lyricist Bernie Taupin, the creative force behind Elton John’s most iconic hits, describes his unique experience with fame as being a “credit card guy.” He explains that he can easily navigate public spaces like shops or restaurants without recognition, provided he does not reveal his name. Taupin, whose lyrics fueled a vast majority of the 300 million records sold by Elton John, notes that he has successfully maintained a degree of invisibility despite his massive professional footprint. B ernie Taupin has an interesting take on the strange brand of fame he enjoys. “I am,” he says, “what I call the credit card guy. Like a shop or a restaurant, and it’s fine, i go somewhere. Then I pay with my credit card and they see the name and go” – he lets out a mock gasp – “‘You’re that guy. And I’m the luckiest man in the world in regards to that. According to i hadn’t seen him in years and he, He wanted to meet up. Who the hell’s this?’ ‘Hey, Robert, it’s Bernie!’ ‘Oh my gosh, so I walked towards him and there’s that look: ‘Oh God. We had dinner together.”, and the next night. It’s a neat summation of the curious situation Taupin finds himself in. Furthermore, Taupin has never been an invisible presence in the duo.

While his partner Elton John remains one of the most recognizable figures globally, requiring constant security, Taupin emphasizes that he values his ability to walk down the street unnoticed. He describes his current state as 100% committed to his anonymity, noting that he would find John’s level of fame impossible to live with. This contrast is striking given that Taupin was a visible member of their early act, often appearing on album sleeves in flamboyant attire, such as the fringed leather chaps worn on the 1975 release Rock of the Westies. I absolutely, positively, 100% love my anonymity, the fact I can walk down the street. I mean, even my contemporaries, people I know – I find I have to introduce myself to them. He’s resplendent in a quite extraordinary pair of fringed leather chaps and a shirt open to the navel, there’s a photo of him on the sleeve of virtually all of John’s most famous albums: on 1975’s Rock of the Westies. Yet, somehow, he’s managed to maintain a certain invisibility, perhaps as an inevitable result of working with one of the most flamboyant, piquantly OTT performers of all time. “Elton’s probably one of the most recognisa. Near Santa Barbara: everybody knows me, I know everybody, nobody treats me in any way other than as a friend, i live in a very very small community.

Taupin recently released his new solo album, The Sea Has No Mercy, which was recorded in Nashville at the home of producer Frank Liddell and his wife, the country star Lee Ann Womack. Unlike his previous solo attempts, where his commitment often seemed inconsistent, this project represents a significant departure. In the 1970s and 1980s, Taupin’s solo work—such as his 1971 poetry album, 1980’s He Who Rides the Tiger, and 1987’s Tribe—often suffered from a lack of focus or a distaste for the promotional demands of the music industry. I was at the Americanafest in Nashville recently and Robert Plant was playing. Whatever slim commercial chances his 1971 album Taupin had – it featured him reciting poetry to a musical backing courtesy of Elton’s band – were probably scuppered by Taupin giving interviews in which he was wont to exp. Meanwhile, 1980’s He Who Rides the Tiger and 1987’s Tribe were game stabs at “a much more commercial, radio-oriented” sound, the latter made in the wake of his biggest John-less successes, co-authoring Heart’s US No 1 Th. It’s an album that reveals Taupin has a fantastic voice: at 76, it’s developed a patina that seems to speak of hard-won experience, perfect for a set of songs that find him in reflective mood, at turns wistful, a bit grouchy and gruffly elated at his good, recorded in Nashville at the home producer Frank Liddell shares with his wife Lee Ann Womack (the multi-platinum-selling country star turns up on backing vocals).

The creative inspiration for the new album came after the completion of his 2023 autobiography, Scattershot. Taupin describes the current record as a “100% selfish” endeavor, where he composed not only the lyrics but also the music—a blend of folk, country, and dark ambient textures. At 76, his voice has developed a distinct quality that he feels suits his current creative direction. He has largely left behind the pressures of commercial, radio-oriented success that defined his past, including his work on co-writing hits for Heart and Starship.

Looking back at his career, Taupin notes that he sometimes left the interpretation of his lyrics open to the listener, even when they were deeply personal. For instance, the hit “I’m Still Standing” was written as a sharp message to an ex-partner, though he allowed Elton John to make the song his own during their major comeback period. Throughout the 1990s, Taupin also fronted a band called Farm Dogs, which he humorously refers to as his “midlife crisis band.”

Taupin’s connection to the United States is profound. Having moved from his roots in Owmby-by-Spital, he states that he no longer feels “even remotely” British. His assimilation into American life is evidenced by his long-standing obsession with the rodeo. Beyond just being a spectator, he competed professionally in cutting, a discipline involving separating a cow from its herd, and even co-owned a three-time “bucking bull of the year” named Little Yellow Jacket. He notes that his wife is a dedicated barrel racer and a “100% cowgirl” within the Texas rodeo community.

The artist remains remarkably unfazed by his age, joking, “At my age, I can rant!” He maintains memories of his legendary 1970s social circle in Los Angeles, which included Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, and Alice Cooper. They were part of a group known as the Hollywood Vampires, though he expresses amusement at the conflicting stories regarding their reputation for hellraising versus quieter pastimes like golf. Currently, Taupin plans a single performance to support his new album at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, viewing it as a prestigious career milestone while remaining content in his quiet, largely anonymous life.