December 2nd 2024.
Sir Elton John has been very open and honest about his struggles with his health throughout the years. Most recently, he shared that he had been recovering from a severe infection that had left him with limited sight in one eye. This has made it difficult for him to continue working, as his vision in his other eye is not the best either.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the musical icon has faced health issues. He has previously spoken about his multiple surgeries, infections, and battles with addiction over the course of several decades. In an interview with People Magazine earlier this year, he stated, "To be honest with you, there's not much of me left. I've had my tonsils, adenoids, and appendix removed. I don't have a prostate or a right hip or a left knee. The only thing I have left is my left hip. But I'm still here, and I can't thank you all enough. You are the ones who have made me who I am."
Let's take a closer look at some of Sir Elton's health struggles that he has openly discussed throughout his career. One of the most well-known is his battle with addiction and bulimia. He has shared his story in the 2019 biopic Rocketman and in a 2010 interview with Piers Morgan. He revealed that during the 1970s and 80s, he was heavily addicted to drugs and alcohol. "I'd stay up for days, smoke joints, drink a bottle of Johnnie Walker, and then sleep for a day and a half. I became bulimic and would binge and throw up, only to repeat the cycle again," he admitted. Sir Elton also shared that his substance abuse issues nearly cost him his life. "I would have seizures and turn blue, and then 40 minutes later, I'd be snorting another line," he said.
However, Sir Elton credits meeting AIDS patient Ryan White as a turning point in his life. "I wanted to help him and his family, but they ended up helping me even more," he shared during a talk at Harvard University in 2017. "Ryan was the spark that helped me recover from my addictions and start the AIDS foundation. Within six months of his death, I became sober and have been for 27 years."
Throat surgery in 1987 also changed Sir Elton's life. He had to have potentially cancerous nodules removed from his vocal cords while on tour. This altered his singing voice, but he believes it made him a better singer. "I have more resonance in my voice, and I'm much happier with it," he told Billboard in 2004. "I've learned to breathe properly and become a better singer. I'm now a singer who plays the piano, rather than a piano player who sings."
In 1999, Sir Elton had a pacemaker fitted after being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. This came after he collapsed while traveling to perform at the wedding of Victoria and David Beckham. He had to cancel several shows at the time due to similar episodes, which he initially thought were caused by an ear infection. "It made sense that there was a problem with my heart, and I'm so grateful it was caught early enough for me to be treated," he shared.
Sir Elton was also hospitalized in 2009 after contracting a serious E-coli infection while suffering from influenza. He had to cancel several tour dates in the UK and Ireland due to illness. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and was able to return to performing.
The musical legend was forced to cancel four shows in Las Vegas in 2012 after being diagnosed with a serious respiratory infection. He had to undergo tests and was advised by doctors to take complete rest and antibiotic treatment to prevent further damage to his health. "It feels strange not to be able to perform at the Colosseum," he said. "I'm disappointed to let my fans down, but I'll be back in October to complete the remaining shows."
In 2013, Sir Elton underwent surgery to remove his appendix after developing appendicitis. He was forced to cancel his gig at London's Hyde Park and several other European tour dates. "I'm lucky to be alive. I was a ticking time bomb, and I could have died at any time," he admitted. Despite experiencing severe stomach pains, he initially thought he had food poisoning and continued to perform until he was diagnosed. "I feel so grateful to be alive," he said.
In 2017, Sir Elton was struck down by a rare and potentially deadly bacterial infection. He had to cancel several shows and spent two nights in intensive care. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and returned to performing shortly after. Throughout all of his health struggles, Sir Elton has remained resilient and continues to share his story to inspire and help others.
Sir Elton John has been very open about his health struggles throughout his career. Recently, he shared that he had been recovering from a severe infection that had left him with limited sight in one eye. The 77-year-old Your Song singer revealed that this has been making it difficult for him to work, as his vision in his left eye is not the greatest either. This is not the first time that Sir Elton has dealt with health issues, as he has previously opened up about multiple surgeries, infections, and battles with addiction over the years.
In a candid interview with People Magazine earlier this year, Sir Elton shared, "To be honest with you, there's not much of me left. I don't have tonsils, adenoids, or an appendix. I don't have a prostate. I don't have a right hip or a left knee or a right knee. In fact, the only thing left to me is my left hip. But I'm still here. And I can't thank you enough, you're the people that made me." Throughout his career, Sir Elton has been open about his health struggles, and here we will take a closer look at some of the major issues he has faced.
One of the most well-documented battles in Sir Elton's life has been his addiction issues. In the 2019 biopic Rocketman, his struggles with drugs and alcohol are portrayed in great detail. In a 2010 interview with Piers Morgan, Sir Elton shared that he spent much of the 1970s and 80s intoxicated by alcohol and drugs. "This is how bleak it was: I'd stay up, I'd smoke joints, I'd drink a bottle of Johnnie Walker and then I'd stay up for three days and then I'd go to sleep for a day and a half, get up, and because I was so hungry, because I hadn't eaten anything," he revealed. "I'd binge and have like three bacon sandwiches, a pot of ice cream, and then I'd throw it up because I became bulimic and then go and do the whole thing all over again. And I'm not being flippant when I say that, when I look back I shudder at the behavior and what I was doing to myself." He also noted that his substance abuse issues "very nearly" ended his life. "I mean, I would have an epileptic seizure and turn blue, and people would find me on the floor and put me to bed, and then 40 minutes later I'd be snorting another line," he shared.
Sir Elton credits meeting AIDs patient Ryan White as a turning point in his life. During a talk at Harvard University in 2017, he shared, "I had the luck to meet Ryan White and his family. I wanted to help them, but they ended up helping me much more. Ryan was the spark that helped me to recover from my addictions and start the AIDS foundation. Within six months [of White's death] I became sober, and clean, and have been for 27 years." In a 2012 interview with NPR, Sir Elton also shared that he still has vivid dreams about his drug use, saying, "I still dream, twice a week at least, that I've taken cocaine and I have it up my nose. And it's very vivid and it's very upsetting, but at least it's a wake-up call."
In 1987, Sir Elton underwent throat surgery to remove potentially cancerous nodules from his vocal cords while on tour. This came after he had spent 15 months on tour, performing roughly 200 shows. The surgery changed his singing voice, and he told Billboard in 2004, "I just have more resonance in my voice and I'm much happier with that. Halfway through my career I got a voice change, thanks a lot! And I've learned to breathe properly, I've watched other people singing, I've become a much better singer. I've become a singer that plays the piano instead of a piano player that sings."
In 1999, Sir Elton had a pacemaker fitted after it was discovered that he had an irregular heartbeat. A source told The Sun at the time that the music icon was "anxious but calm" as he travelled from the South of France to London for the surgery. He had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat after collapsing while travelling to perform at the wedding of Victoria and David Beckham. Sir Elton had also cancelled several shows at the time due to similar episodes, which he had attributed to an ear infection. The insider added, "He couldn't believe that his collapses were just down to an ear infection. It made sense that there was a problem with his heart and he is enormously relieved that it has been discovered early enough for him to be treated."
In 2009, Sir Elton was hospitalized after contracting a serious E-coli infection while suffering from influenza. He had to pull out of several UK and Ireland tour dates due to illness. Speaking to reporters outside of the hospital, his husband David Furnish assured, "He's OK. He's fine." A spokesperson for the singer added, "He is recovering from a case of serious influenza with minor complications. We are confident he will be back on stage in the near future."
In 2012, Sir Elton was forced to cancel four shows in Las Vegas after being diagnosed with a serious respiratory infection. After undergoing a series of tests, doctors told him that he needed "complete rest and antibiotic treatment to prevent damage." He told TMZ, "It feels strange not to be able to perform these Million Dollar Piano concerts at the Colosseum, but I'll be back in October." He added, "All I can say to the fans is 'sorry I can't be with you'."
In 2013, Sir Elton was "lucky to be alive" after suffering from appendicitis and having his appendix removed. He had been forced to cancel his gig at London’s Hyde Park, as well as many more of his European tour dates, after he was left crippled with stomach pains. "I’m lucky to be alive," he admitted to The Sun. "I was a ticking time bomb. I guess I could have died at any time." Despite the pain, Sir Elton had initially mistaken his appendix abscess for food poisoning and pushed himself to continue with his gigs. "I feel so lucky and so grateful to be alive," he shared.
In 2017, Sir Elton was struck down by a "rare and potentially deadly" bacterial infection. He had to cancel several shows in Las Vegas and California while he recovered. "I am so fortunate to have the most incredible and loyal fans and apologize for disappointing them," he said in a statement. "I am extremely grateful to the medical team for their excellence in looking after me so well."
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