Elton John admits “there’s not much of me left” in health update
Whichever way you spin it, Elton John has enjoyed one of the most successful and enduring careers of anybody in the history of British music. For over six decades, the ‘Rocket Man’ singer has been a consistent feature of the pop charts, with an incredible ability to fill colossal venues all over the world. At 77 years of age, however, John’s life is now plagued with health issues, according to the man himself.
John has had no shortage of health scares in recent years, which likely influenced his decision to step back from performing after his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour last year. Earlier this week, however, the songwriter and pianist told fans, during a public appearance, that “there’s not much of me left,” after various health scares and medical operations.
The musician made this announcement white appearing at the premiere of Elton John: Never Too Late. Produced by Disney+ and directed by the duo R. J. Cutler and David Furnish, the documentary film is set to detail Elton John’s rise to fame, and various highlights from his personal and professional life along the way. However, the bulk of the documentary is built around his most recent world tour.
Addressing the crowd at the premiere, John announced, with a hint of humour, “To be honest with you, there’s not much of me left.”
He then went on to explain, “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 of me is my left hip.” However, he did also add, “But I’m still here.”
Despite all of this, the songwriter remained in good spirits throughout the premiere, and still regularly makes public appearances even if his career as a performer has come to a close. A life spent on the road, touring, writing, and recording new material will inevitably put a strain on your health into old age, but Elton John still seems remarkably upbeat regardless of his various health scares.
It is unclear what the future holds for Elton John. Although he has stepped away from live performance, he has taken part in various in-studio collaborations in recent years, rubbing shoulders with everybody from Dua Lipa to Yard Act. Given that he seems to enjoy this work as an intensely overqualified session musician, it is not incomprehensible that he would continue that work in the coming years.
Equally, it would not be all that surprising if John simply stepped away from the limelight to spend some years in the company of his family, free from the pressures of the music industry. Regardless, John is certainly still standing in the face of his various health concerns.
What was Elton John’s most recent health scare?
Early last month, it was revealed that John has suffered a particularly vicious eye infection which left the songwriter with limited vision in one eye. Reportedly, this infection had been ailing John throughout the summer season, and – as of last month – John was still in recovery from the infection.
Posting a statement to his social media channels, John wrote, “I am healing, but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye.” Adding, “I am so grateful for the excellent team of doctors and nurses and my family, who have taken such good care of me over the last several weeks.”
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