Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Sir Elton John’s longtime writing partner owns the 30-acre Santa Ynez Valley estate
English hitmaker Bernie Taupin is selling a 30-acre ranch in Santa Ynez Valley, California, where he’s written songs and created art for the past quarter century.
Mr. Taupin, 67, has drawn inspiration for a handful of albums written for Sir Elton John since he bought the house in 1992—which featured hit songs like “The One,” “Something About the Way You Look Tonight” and a wildly popular version of “Candle in the Wind” rewritten as a tribute to Princess Diana after her death. The home is also the muse for Mr. Taupin’s mixed media art.
“This place has just been unbelievably inspirational for me,” Mr. Taupin said in a video of the property. “The songs that I’ve written have all been inspired by this place and just the comfort it gives me.”
Mr. Taupin is celebrating 50 years working with the pop music icon and is known for writing the lyrics to “Rocket Man,” “Tiny Dancer” and “Bennie and the Jets.” His longtime home is for sale for $4.7 million, a price cut from the last time he tried to sell the bucolic compound.
The home was last on the market a year ago for $5.95 million, according to listing records.
The property where Mr. Taupin lives with his family is called Roundup Valley Ranch and is anchored by a five-bedroom, six-bathroom main house. The songwriter has a separate studio and office space where he works. There’s also a cavernous equestrian center with a covered arena and stables, according to information provided by broker Ann Abernethy of Ranch Marketing Associates.
The Taupin family plans to stay in the U.S. but they’re looking for a different environment for their two daughters and since Mr. Taupin no longer rides horses, Ms. Abernethy said.
“They want a different kind of setup for their children,” she said.
The Mediterranean-style white stucco and blue-tile roofed main house was built in the 1980s. There’s a great room and large kitchen equipped with four ovens, plus a pizza oven where Mr. Taupin whips up meals for guests while taking in impressive valley views, he said.
Outside there’s also a pool, a pond and outdoor riding rings.
“There is this sense of tranquility and privacy here that is very hard to find anywhere,” Mr. Taupin said.
He recalled the moment he first saw the home.
“The road leading up to the house and the lake, the vistas,” he recalled. “You get that feeling ‘this is it’—well this was definitely ‘it.’”
