Elton John Sparks Health Concerns After Attending Pal's Funeral With a Cane and Injured Foot: Photos
Elton John sparked health concerns after he attended Derek Draper's funeral with a cane and what appeared to be some sort of medical support accessory on one of his feet.
The legendary singer arrived to St. Mary the Virgin Church in London on Friday, February 2, alongside husband David Furnish.
Draper was 56 when he passed away last month due to a heart attack, which came four years after he suffered from a COVID-19 induced coma.
The Grammy winner, 76, also performed at the ceremony for the late political lobbyist, whose widow, Kate, once called the superstar a "great friend."
It's unclear why John needed a little extra help walking, though in August 2023, he was briefly hospitalized after a fall.
"We can confirm that following a slip yesterday at his home in the south of France, Elton visited the local hospital as a precautionary measure," a spokesman said at the time. "Following check ups, he was immediately discharged this morning and his now back at home and in good health."
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The father-of-two wrapped up his farewell tour last year after decades of success in the music industry.
“I’m trying to process it, and I don’t think it will sink in for a while yet that I’m finally finished touring,” he gushed in an interview after his final concert. "I can’t tell you how much I’m going to miss the fans and how much their support has humbled me — it will stay with me forever."
He described his last show as "magical."
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While John's fans tend to be an older crowd, he earned a new legion of admirers after he released his remix duet "Hold Me Closer" with Britney Spears.
"She sang fantastically," the British star insisted in a past interview. "Everyone was saying they don't think she can sing anymore. But I said, she was brilliant when she started so I think she can. And she did it, and I was so thrilled with what she did."
"I'm so excited to be able to do it with her because if it is a big hit, and I think it may be, it will give her so much more confidence than she's got already and she will realize that people actually love her and care for her and want her to be happy," John continued before the track dropped in August 2022. "That's all anybody in their right mind would want after she went through such a traumatic time."
The song wound up debuting at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.