Sir Elton

Philip Norman was born in London and brought up in Ryde, Isle of Wight. He joined the Sunday Times at the age of 22 and became a renowned interviewer for its iconic colour magazine with subjects ranging from Elizabeth Taylor and Little Richard to P.G. Wodehouse and the Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. In 1981, he published Shout!, a ground-breaking biography of the Beatles which has been continuously in print ever since and is regarded as the definitive history of the band. This was followed by internationally-bestselling biographies of the Rolling Stones, Buddy Holly, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton.

He has also written novels (becoming one of the original 20 Best of Young British Novelists) short stories, radio and TV plays and two stage musicals, This Is Elvis and Laughter In The Rain: the Neil Sedaka Story.