Elton John has more than 60 years of experience in the entertainment industry. So, at age 77, it is safe to say that he has seen and done it all. However, when it comes to his crazy experiences and health issues, he admits he feels fortunate to have survived this long.
According to Radar Online, Elton John once experienced an event so frightening and bloody that his crew and entourage thought the singer had endured an assassination attempt in 1974 during a concert performance in Greensboro, South Carolina.
Elton John claims he can laugh about the incident now and even describes it as one of his favorite memories. However, at the time, it put the entire arena in a state of panic. John claims that while playing Burn Down the Mission, someone from the audience launched a metal pipe at him on stage.
He didn’t know it at the time because he was unconscious from the blow to the head. However, he was dragged, while bleeding excessively from his temple, away from his piano backstage. His security team had thought he had been shot during an assassination attempt on his life. Moments later, they discovered that a drug user in the audience had thrown a metal hash pipe at him, striking him directly in the temple.
“Fans have often thrown things onstage when I’m playing, but usually, it’s been something reasonably soft. Not in Greensboro. As we plowed through a rendition of Burn Down the Mission, someone hurled a metal hash pipe toward the stage from the crowd. I didn’t see it coming,” Elton John states.
The Rocketman hitmaker says he was told later they thought I’d been shot because they saw blood pouring down his face. Elton adds that Jim Morris, his bodyguard at the time, “dragged him to the side of the Coliseum stage in his full feathered suit. There were feathers everywhere. A paramedic was bandaging my head.”
Health Issues Mount As Elton John Prepares To Meet His Maker
For the past several years, Elton has been plagued by numerous health issues and has undergone multiple surgeries. The singer’s failing health has taken a toll on him. So much so that even Elton can’t believe he is still around to talk about it.
Recent reports of a long list of health concerns continue to grow. He is dealing with persistent hip and knee trouble, prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes, and, most recently, a severe eye infection that has now left him blind in his right eye and with limited vision in his left.
With limited vision, Elton John is sidelined from his career and many things he enjoys. He reveals that his husband, David Furnish, has become his carer. The singer’s health is in rapid decline. Recently, John began suffering issues affecting his mobility. This has come as quite a shock to him, and according to insiders, the singer can barely walk.
Elton continues to deal with persistent hip and knee trouble, prostate cancer, and type 2 diabetes, resulting in a limited diet. The singer admits he can be pretty grumpy at times. His constant and growing health issues often find him and his family reflecting on his mortality.
“I want to see them have children and marry. I don’t think I’m going to be around for that. Who knows? You never know. So that’s why I want to use the best time – the best of my time – while I’m around. Time together is so wonderful and so precious.”
Elton John reveals he stays determined to spend quality time with his family. He acknowledges that he may not be around to witness all the milestones in his young son’s lives. But he is committed to making the most of his time with them and David.
