Sir Elton John has revealed he is contending with significant vision loss, sharing that his celebrity friends, including Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Mick Jagger, frequently check in on his wellbeing.
The music icon disclosed that he has "lost my right eye and my left eye’s not so good," though he remains optimistic that "someday science will help me with this one."
Speaking to US magazine Variety, Sir Elton described the past year as profoundly challenging.
"It’s been devastating," he stated.
"The last 15 months have been challenging for me because I haven’t been able to see anything, watch anything, read anything." Despite the difficulties, he maintains a hopeful outlook: "I’ve had the most incredible life, and there is hope. I’ve just got to be patient that some day science will help me with this one."
The legendary singer finds it easier to connect with friends online, particularly via his iPad, which allows him to see faces up close.
"The thing with my iPad is, I can actually see someone close up," he explained.
He mentioned regularly calling singers Chappell Roan and Brandi Carlile, adding, "Paul McCartney FaceTimes me to see how I’m doing. It’s really beautiful. The love I’ve received from him and from Pete Townshend and Mick Jagger and people like that has been amazing."
Sir Elton, who famously headlined Glastonbury Festival in 2023, admitted the struggle can be taxing. "You just have to grin and bear it. It does get me down sometimes."
His partner, filmmaker David Furnish, with whom he shares two sons, confirmed to Variety that experts have achieved "some improvements in his left eye."
Furnish expressed optimism about medical advancements, noting, "What AI is doing for medicine and science alone is astonishing. And there’s all kinds of interesting new theories and breakthroughs."
The legendary British musician, 78, revealed in an Instagram post in September 2024 that he had lost vision in his right eye because of an infection contracted in the south of France and only had limited vision in his left eye.
The revelation comes as Sir Elton announced on Tuesday that he is set to headline Rock In Rio, a major festival in Rio De Janeiro, next September.
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