PHOTOSElton John's Health Woes in 11 Clicks: Peeing in a Bottle, Fighting Prostate Cancer and More
Elton John wowed his fans by remaining active in the music industry despite his health woes.
Elton John Battled Drugs and Alcohol for Years
Elton John has embraced sobriety for decades, but his recovery journey to get to where he is now was not smooth sailing.
The singer, 77, turned to cocaine during the early days of his career. His substance use worsened after seeing the drug as something that helped him come out of his comfort zone.
“I always said cocaine was the drug that made me open up. I could talk to people,” he told NPR. “But then it became the drug that closed me down, because the last two weeks of my use of cocaine I spent in a room in London, using it and not coming out … So, it started out by making me talk to everyone and then ended up by me isolating myself alone with it, which is the end of the world, really.”
Amid the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, John met Ryan White — a teenager who died on April 8, 1990, years after contracting the disease through a contaminated blood transfusion. The "I'm Still Standing" singer then pushed himself to start his sobriety journey.
He Nearly Died Amid His Addiction Problems
Before meeting White, John nearly died during a suicide attempt as he reached the peak of his addiction problems.
"It was stress," John said. "I’d been working nonstop for five years. But it was typical me. There was no way I was going to kill myself doing that. And, of course, my grandmother came out with the perfect line: 'I suppose we’ve all got to go home now.'"
He added, "And then two days later I was playing Dodger Stadium, and Cary Grant was there, and it was one of the best days of my professional life, and I pulled it off. I’ve got that resilient thing inside me. But I wasn’t a happy bunny."
According to Elizabeth Rosenthal's book His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John, the "Hakuna matata" hitmaker was with his friends and family at his Benedict Canyon home when he threw himself into the water after taking a bottle of Valium. John struggled to return to the surface, prompting everyone to call an emergency medical team.
Elton John Also Became Bulimic
In 2010, John told Piers Morgan during a TV interview that his lengthy drug use led him to suffer from bulimia.
"This is how bleak it was: I'd stay up, I'd smoke joints, I'd drink a bottle of Johnnie Walker [whisky] 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."
Elton John Nearly Died After a Misdiagnosis
The "Cold Heart" singer had another near-death experience after his appendicitis was misdiagnosed as a colon infection amid his tour.
John initially felt intense stomach pain during his performances but thought he only had food poisoning. After his condition affected his show in Germany, he consulted with doctors and was diagnosed with an appendix abscess.
"I was a ticking time bomb. I guess I could have died at any time," he added. "I feel so lucky and so grateful to be alive. I played nine gigs and the White Tie and Tiara Summer Ball [his annual benefit raising money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation] in agony."
Elton John Had a Brush With Death Again
John's resiliency was tested again when he underwent a surgery for his prostate cancer in 2017. While the procedure was successful, he experienced life-threatening complications that caused him to spend 11 days in the hospital.
At the time, the Grammy-winning singer was reportedly "unsure" if he would make it home to be with his husband, David Furnish, and their two children again.
“I didn’t really know how close to death I was,” he revealed on Today. “I was ill because I kept saying, ‘Please let me get well. I want to see my kids.’ But I had tubes coming out of every part of my body, and it took me seven weeks to recover from that when I went home."
John also opened up about the terrifying experience in his 2019 autobiography, Me.
Elton John Underwent Hip Surgery
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In September 2021, the "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" singer suffered a fall that led him to undergo hip surgery. The health issue caused the postponement of some dates of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.
“I have been advised to have an operation as soon as possible to get me back to full fitness and make sure there are no long-term complications. I will be undertaking a program of intensive physiotherapy that will ensure a full recovery and turn to full mobility without pain," he wrote on X.
He Had a COVID Scare
Not long after resuming his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, John was forced to cancel his two Dallas shows after testing positive for COVID-19.
“It’s always a massive disappointment to have to move shows and I’m sorry to anyone who’s been inconvenienced by this but I want to keep myself and my team safe," he wrote in an update on Instagram.
Elton John Sparked Health Concerns Again
In 2022, tabloids shared photos of John using a wheelchair during a public outing. He addressed the concerns online and slammed the "silly story" about him "looking frail."
He explained, "After another rousing 2.5 hour show, we arrived at Leipzig airport just before curfew, to find part of the airport had closed. It was an extremely long walk to get to the plane, so my team kindly laid on a wheelchair so I could rest my hip after doing the show. That’s all folks.”
Elton John Was Hospitalized After a Fall
John was taken to a hospital after slipping at his Nice, France, villa. His team confirmed the health issue and revealed the "Your Song" singer was discharged after taking precautionary measures.
He Underwent Knee Surgery
The "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" singer decided to have both knees replaced due to a knee injury.
“He’s walking brilliantly. Both his knees were bent so badly, but his left knee is now perfectly straight. His right knee is still bent so he’s going to have another surgery in April," Furnish told Variety in March.
John was seen using a cane in several outings after the announcement.
Elton John Peed in a Bottle
John made headlines again after reports about him peeing in a bottle while shopping with his two sons emerged. Store owner Ryan Sukkar told TMZ that the "Sacrifice" hitmaker asked his bodyguards for a bottle before stepping away from other shoppers and proceeding to pee.
The acclaimed songwriter also reportedly used a towel to clean up the urine that he had splashed on the floor.
His inability to hold his pee in left his fans concerned, as it could suggest a health issue.
