Sir Elton John celebrated 35 years of sobriety on Wednesday with handmade cards from his sons Zachary and Elijah.
The music legend, 78, who once admitted he ‘would be dead’ had he not have asked sought help with his addictions, rang in the milestone with his family.
Sharing his gratitude in an Instagram update, Elton marked the milestone at home with his husband David Furnish and their sons Zachary, 13, and Elijah, 11.
He uploaded a photo of the cards and flowers he had received from his close friends and relatives.
‘Grateful for all the love on my sobriety birthday,’ Elton captioned.
The musician has been very open about his battle with alcohol and drugs which nearly derailed his career and cost him his life.
Elton John celebrated 35 years of sobriety on Wednesday with handmade cards from his sons Zachary and Elijah (pictured in 2024)
The music legend, 78, who once admitted he ‘would be dead’ had he not have asked sought help with his addictions, rang in the milestone with his family
Speaking in an interview in December, Elton said he treated former lovers ‘like hostages,’ behaved like an ‘a**hole’ and was unable to operate household appliances without help until he was well into his forties because of his issues with addiction.
The legendary singer-songwriter made a series of startling admissions about his personal life in TIME magazine.
Discussing at length a crippling addiction to alcohol and cocaine at the height of his fame in the 1970s and ’80s, Sir Elton admitted there were numerous casualties before his eventual rehabilitation in the ’90s – among them his former partners.
‘You make terrible decisions on drugs, he explained. ‘I wanted love so badly, I would just take hostages.
‘I’d see someone I liked and spend three or four months together, and then they would resent me because they had nothing in their life apart from me.
‘It really upsets me, thinking back on how many people I probably hurt.’
Entering the Lutheran General Hospital in Chicago as an in-patient in 1990, Sir Elton received six weeks of treatment for his addictions to drugs, alcohol and food.
Sharing his gratitude in an Instagram update, Elton marked the milestone at home with his husband David Furnish and their sons (pictured with David in January)
The first half of his career was plagued with addictions to drugs, alcohol, sex and shopping — as well as his battle with bulimia (pictured in 1976)
Reflecting on his wild past, he admitted to Variety at Cannes Film Festival in 2019: ‘The life I was leading, flying on the Starship, living in beautiful houses, buying things left, right and centre — it was not a normal life.
‘I used to have spasms and be found on the floor and they’d put me back to bed and half an hour later I’d be doing the same. It’s crazy.
‘I am a survivor. I’ve survived a lot of things. Life is full of pitfalls, even when you’re sober. I can deal with them now because I don’t have to run away and hide’, he added.
This week, Elton has showed his unlikely role as a mediator in his godson Brooklyn Beckham’s feud with his family, with sources claiming he ‘said his piece’ on the matter during a swanky lunch with the chef and his wife Nicola Peltz.
It remains to be seen whether Elton’s attempts to help Brooklyn will be in vain, with sources previously saying he’s staying firmly neutral on the Beckham family row.
He had been a longtime friend of the Beckham family, with footballer David even fondly referring to him as Uncle.
This close bond has continued for Brooklyn, who is Elton’s godson, and the musician has been honing his unlikely role as peacemaker, by sharing his thoughts on the chef’s ongoing feud with his family.
The Tiny Dancer hitmaker invited Brooklyn and his wife Nicola out for lunch at a swanky beach club in St Tropez, with sources claiming he ‘briefly’ spoke about the family’s feud in the hope Brooklyn would patch things up with his parents.
Speaking about Elton’s attempts to play peacekeeper in the row, a source said: ‘Elton is the showbiz equivalent of Switzerland. He’s utterly neutral in this row.’
This week, Elton has showed his unlikely role as a mediator in his godson Brooklyn Beckham ‘s feud with his family, with sources claiming he ‘said his piece’ on the matter
The legendary musician, who has been friends with David, 50, and Victoria Beckham, 51, for over 30 years, treated Brooklyn and Nicola to a swanky lunch at fancy La Guerite beach club
They added: ‘Elton of old may have relished in taking sides – in this case his young godson, Brooklyn – but two years off his 80th birthday, he’s a man who has seen and done it all. He just wants everyone to be happy.
‘There is no side-taking as such; he simply adores his godson, and really has a laugh with Nicola who he thinks has a great sense of humour. He wants to look after them in his role as ‘spiritual adviser’ as a godfather, it’s a role he takes seriously.
‘Elton and David think the situation is terribly sad, and has gently suggested to all involved that life is short – to patch things up.’
The source added Elton is ‘adamant he doesn’t want to stick his nose in’ the feud, he just simply ‘wants peace’.
