ELTON John is well loved by adoring fans around the world since he launched to fame in the 60s.
But during the early part of his career he battled with drink and drugs behind closed doors – here’s his story…
Was Elton John addicted to drugs and alcohol?
Elton has revealed how cocaine and alcohol took hold of his life.
The superstar singer admits to hoovering up the Class A drug throughout the 70s and 80s to a point that he thought he might die.
Writing in his autobiography Me, Elton recalled fist taking cocaine in 1974.
He remembers being hooked by the euphoric feeling it gave him – and quickly became notorious for going on crazed coke binges.
Elton writes: “My appetite for the stuff was unbelievable — enough to attract comment in the circles I was moving in.
“Given that I was a rock star spending a lot of time in Seventies LA, this was a not inconsiderable feat.”
“irresponsible and self-obsessed”.
In one bear-all passage, Elton reflects on his inability to see that he was gripped by a severe drug problem.
He explains: “That was the problem. Because I was doing coke, I wasn’t a rational human being any more.
“You become unreasonable and irresponsible, self-obsessed, a law unto yourself. It’s your way or the highway. It’s a horrible drug.”
He admits he was prone to lashing out but then waking up the next day and having no memory of it.
Elton also reveals how he could drink SIX martinis within half an hour.
What has Elton John said about his drug and alcohol addiction?
Elton has been open about his struggles with drugs and alcohol for several years, which were recently documented in his 2019 musical biopic Rocketman.
Speaking to Variety in 2019 he revealed there were moments, however, when he thought he wouldn’t survive. “There were times I was having chest pains or staying up for three days at a time,” he recalled. “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.”
He went on: “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: “What I couldn’t do when I was an addict was communicate, except when I was on cocaine I thought I could but I talked rubbish.
“I have a confrontation problem which I don’t have any more because I learned if you don’t communicate and you don’t talk about things then you’re never going to find a solution.”
When did Elton John get sober?
Elton quit drugs and alcohol in 1990.
In July 2019 the singer celebrated 29 years of sobriety.
To commemorate this milestone he shared a candid post on social media.
In the caption of the post, shared on Twitter and Instagram, the performer wrote: “29 years ago today, I was a broken man.
“I finally summoned up the courage to say three words that would change my life: ‘I need help’.”
During his time in rehab back in the 90s he even penned a “goodbye cocaine letter” has part as his therapy.
