fame, and power made indulging in alcohol and drugs easy. A self-proclaimed "goody two-shoes," it wasnt until a few years into his career that Elton John tried drugs, although he knew that his band members had been using for a while. As he says, the blow made it easier for him to overcome his shyness, talk to people, and break out of his shell. Drugs and alcohol also allowed him a temporary escape from other issues in his personal life. Rumors about his sexuality hovered, but it wasnt until Cliff Jar of Rolling Stone magazine asked the bisexuality question during an interview that it became public. John explains, "I thought it was okay to say yeah." He just didnt care anymore who knew; it was the begin- ning of the process of recapturing himself. But it was the 1970s, and many of his fans were shocked by the headlines that screamed of his proclaimed bisexuality. It hurt his brand because mainstream culture wasnt ready to deal with sexual preference publicly. Blue Moves, the album following his announcement, didnt come in at number one. In fact, it peaked at only number three-which although disappoint- ing after a string of chart-topping albums, proved that the news had damaged his career but hadnt killed it. His personal highs and lows affected his career to a certain degree,     but even in the early 1980s he was able to release a whole new string of hits despite the minor differences he had had with Taupin along the way. This period brought hits such as "Im Still Standing," "I Guess Thats Why They Call It the Blues," "Sad Songs," and "Nikita." But his surprise marriage to sound engineer Renate Blauel in 1984 and full-blown drug addiction distracted from the professional suc- cess he still managed to create. The straw that almost broke the proverbial camels back was a series of articles printed in a British tabloid, the Sun, accusing the superstar of participating in wild sex orgies with young male prosti- tutes. To that point, he had faced adversity, but never an all-out assault on his character. The Elton John brand, what it and he stood for among fans, was under attack. The performer was devastated. He recalls, "For a time I wouldnt go out of the house." In October 1988, the Sun settled out of court for £1 million and a front-page apology. Despite those difficult times, he turned to work as his salvation and released Reg Strikes Back in 1988; the album spent five months on the charts. "It wasnt one of my best albums," he admits. "But it got me doing something." After its release, he auc- tioned off his glitter-rock costumes and returned to the core of the Elton John brand. This chapter in Johns life provides a valuable lesson in personal branding. When controversy rears its ugly head in the form of scandal or bad press, you have to remain active, try to function in a business- as-usual mode, and fix whatever is broken. This difficult time in Johns life shows that negative publicity can damage careers and lives but wont kill you; in fact, it can change lives for the better. Elton Johns image rebirth was in its embryonic stage, sparked by his connection to a young boy, Ryan White, who had been a loyal fan, and the friendship he formed with Ryans mother after the boys tragic AIDS-related death. The emotional experience he went through over the