Elton John reflects on health journey and surgeries: ‘There’s not much of me left’
At the New York premiere of his documentary Never Too Late, the music icon looked back on his health journey and how his relationship with music has changed since retiring
By Larisha Paul
Elton John is running out of organs to have removed and joints to have replaced. At the New York premiere of his documentary film Elton John: Never Too Late, the music icon ran through a quick overview of his health journey, listing off: “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 what he does have is a sense of humour and a strong support system. “To be honest with you, there’s not much of me left,” he said, according to People. John underwent a knee replacement surgery in January and, as recently as last month, revealed that he was recovering from a severe eye infection that impaired his vision. “But I’m still here,” he continued. “And I can’t thank you [enough], you’re the people that made me.”
John went on to thank his husband, David Furnish, and their two sons, Zachary and Elijah. “I’ve never felt happiness like I have now,” he shared. He’s been spending more time with them now that he has officially retired from touring. His Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour concluded in July 2023. “As you know, I decided to stop touring because I’m 77 years of age,” John said. “I’ve done all there is to do, to play. I’ve succeeded. I’ve been there and I’ve done it.”
Still, even without touring, John has maintained his connection with the art of creating music, something he shared was key to getting him through “the good times and bad times” over the years. “I’ve still got to make room because I’m still going to have music in my life. But the most important things in my life are David, Zachary, and Elijah, and my family and my friends. I found utopia, and I’m so thrilled,” he said, adding: “Even when I was in my darkest times, I still played music, I still recorded music, so I have to say thank you to music for being the most incredible inspiration to me throughout my whole life.”
John spends a significant portion of Never Too Late reflecting on the evolution of his relationship with music. The film, arriving at select theaters in the U.S. and U.K. on Nov. 15, follows the musician on his farewell tour with insights into his family life and archives of footage from his decades-long career. The documentary will begin streaming on Disney+ on Dec. 13.