Elton John Celebrated 29 Years Of Sobriety In 2019 — Said In Emotional Confession He Was 'A Broken Man'

Mar 08, 2022 by apost team

Sir Elton John has a career that most musicians aspire to for their whole lives. The singer was born on Mar. 25, 1947, in Middlesex, England. John started making music in the 1960s, but it wasn't until 1969 that he released his debut album, 'Empty Sky.'

In 1970, John's first big hit, "Your Song," came from his second self-titled album. The album became a hit both in the U.K. and in the U.S. and kick-started the singer's golden years of commercial success: 1970 to 1976. Albums during this time period included 'Honky Château' (1972), 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' (1973), as well as his very first 'Greatest Hits' compilation album.

However, music is not the only success for which John is known. The singer has been very prominent in the fight against AIDS since the 1980s. His advocacy work has made him one of the main celebrities known to champion the cause and has earned him global recognition.

The legendary artist acknowledged his 29th year of sobriety back in 2019 in a touching post. The fashion icon shared a photo of his sobriety chip that marked the special and important day for the singer writing, “29 years ago today, I was a broken man.” 

It is by no means easy to overcome an addiction, but John proved that when you dedicate yourself towards a bigger cause, you end up doing what at one point seemed quite impossible. John will continue to inspire many people as the years go by; from amateur singers who are looking for a meteoric career to addicts who are looking for a better life. 

John’s personal life has been flashed across movie screens around the world in the musical biopic success “Rocketman.” The film deep-dives into how the musician rose to success, his struggle with coming out as gay, and his battle with alcoholism and drug addiction before committing himself to rehab. 

Back in 2019, the Grammy winner decided to mark the incredible milestone by sharing a photo on Instagram of his achievement. In addition to admitting he was a "broken man," he also wrote alongside the photo,

“I finally summoned up the courage to say 3 words that would change my life: ‘I need help,’ Thank-you to all the selfless people who have helped me on my journey through sobriety. I am eternally grateful.” 

At the Cannes Festival earlier in the summer of 2019 when “Rocketman” debuted, John told Variety during an interview, 

“Every creative artist does have doubt and has moments of, ‘Am I doing the right thing? Am I good enough?’ And that’s what turns us into monsters as well because I think you become unreasonable and of course the chemical substances and the alcohol doesn’t help anything, and you lose touch with reality.” 

He continued adding, “The life I was leading, flying on the Starship [his legendary private plane], living in beautiful houses, buying things left, right and center — it was not a normal life, not the sort of life I came from anyway,” he said. “I lost complete touch with that. I vowed when I did change my life that that would never happen again.”

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John has continued to do right by himself and dedicated himself to health and improvement over the years. Now that the star is 74 years old, he's dealing with health issues that often come with aging. On Nov. 10, 2021, the star was seen supporting himself with a stick while walking due to his hip injury. John had fallen on a hard surface and damaged his hip, which required an operation.

According to The Daily Mail, the injury has left the performer "unable to move sideways." He was seen receiving a prestigious honor from Prince Charles as recognition for his iconic musical career and dedication to fighting AIDS. John was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour by Prince Charles during the Windsor Castle ceremony on Wednesday. 

On Sept. 16, Elton John announced on social media that he would be rescheduling his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour dates in Europe due to a hip injury. John, who is 74, launched his farewell tour in the U.S. back in September 2018, though he promptly stopped the tour — which was planned for three years — in March 2020 in light of the global pandemic.

The "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" was said to be the award-winning musician's final tour, and his sets included some of John's most well-known tracks, including "Rocket Man" and "Your Song."

While fans on Twitter were frustrated by the delays — some said that they would have had their tickets for five years once shows in Europe and the U.K. were underway — many also sent their well wishes to the legendary British recording artist. John reassured his fans and went so far as to "promise" that "shows will return to the road."

We’d like to congratulate Elton John on this incredible milestone. Send your well-wishes below! Pass this article along to someone who could benefit from reading this article.