He wrote the score for “The Lion King.”
He’s one of 19 performers in history to achieve EGOT status.He’s friends with Ed Sheeran.
From the outside, John has had an incredible life, one that most would only dream of.
From childhood until his later years, these are the tragic details about Elton John’s life.
Because of his work, Dwight was not around for much of John’s childhood.
When he was around, Dwight and John were often at odds.
John’s relationship with Dwight was further strained by his lack of support for John’s career aspirations.
Despite being a musician himself, Dwight did not see music as an admirable career path.
Even when John found success, his father wasn’t supportive.
That lack of support is still with John, even though Dwight died in 1991.
“It’s crazy, but I just wanted his approval.
“My father and my mother should never have gotten married.
They got married very quickly after the war, which a lot of people did.
They were totally unsuited to each other,” John told NPR.
Eventually, though, Dwight and Eileen separated, and they went on to remarry.
Home life was difficult no matter where John ended up.
Elton John struggled with substance abuse
Many a music superstar has experienced substance abuse.
John can recall the first time he tried cocaine.
“So it made me talk.
And I was quite a shy person.
And of course, it was fool’s gold.
Although he enjoyed doing cocaine, John didn’t like the grand-scale effect it was having on his life.
“I hated my addiction.
I hated the way I behaved.
I hated how I treated people.
I hated what I’d become,” he said.
But today, the singer sees it as a positive.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available.
Visit theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration websiteor contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
In addition to experiencing substance abuse while married, John was hiding his sexuality.
After four years of marriage, John and Blauel divorced.
A few years later, in an interview, John detailed his perspective of the split.
“But it didn’t change my way of life.
Despite wanting to remain friends with Blauel, John went years without speaking to her after their divorce.
Before John married Renate Blauel, he was engaged to another woman, Linda Woodrow.
John knew he didn’t want to get married, and he attempted suicide because of it.
“His musical partner Bernie Taupin walked in on him, and Taupin found the scene ridiculous.
“But Bernie couldn’t stop laughing.
Elton had set the gas on low with all the windows open.
“It was a little cry for help,” John said.
The singer announced that he would soon die, and paramedics came to save him.
“It was stress.
I’d been working non-stop for five years,” John said to theTelegraphof his second suicide attempt.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available.
The singer described his disorder in detail in an interview.
“It was all through being paranoid about my weight but not able to stop eating.
So in the end I’d gorge, then make myself sick,” John told theMirrorin 2019.
I never stood still.
I was always rushing, always thinking about the next thing.
John managed to keep his bulimia under wraps even to those closest to him.
“I had no idea that he was in such extreme pain.
If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available.
“I had reached the lowest ebb in my life the absolute bottom.
I hated myself so much.
I was consumed with shame.
All I wanted to do was get well.
Eventually John found a suitable facility, but he still struggled with his ego.
“So I went back, and I ate humble pie.
You have to have humility to get sober.
And I you know, I needed humility.
After John left rehab, he had to find ways to stay committed to his sobriety.
Aside from one obligation, John took an entire year off work to adjust to his new lifestyle.
“I left every meeting feeling better and more empowered than when I walked in.
Those meetings kept me grounded,” John said.
Elton John knows that better than most.
John agreed to omit certain passages from his book, but some information still made it to the ether.
Thankfully for both parties, the legal spat didn’t last too long.
Within months, everything was resolved, though the terms of the settlement were not made public.
He nearly died from surgery
Elton John is no stranger to near-death experiences.
Per the musician, he was a day away from dying.
“I literally had to learn how to walk again.
I was extremely sick.
Thankfully John made a full recovery.
“Now I’m fine, but there’s very few bits of me left.
I’m like the Bionic Woman.”
He’s also lost many of them.
In 2022, the singer shared that he had lost an aunt.
“My beautiful Auntie Win passed away this morning at 95 years of age.
I loved her so much and will miss her terribly.
She was kindness personified,” John said onInstagramof her passing.
The following year, John lost his close friend and revered musician Tony Bennett.
“Without doubt the classiest singer, man, and performer you will ever see.
I loved and adored him,” John said of Bennett onInstagram.
By that point, John had already experienced tremendous loss.
