Elton John Celebrates 35 Years Sober

NEED TO KNOW

• On July 29, Elton John celebrated 35 years of sobriety with a post on Instagram
• The 78-year-old received handmade cards from his sons Elijah and Zachary, sharing that he’s “grateful for all the love”
• The music icon previously called himself a “survivor” after past struggles with alcohol, marijuana and cocaine

Elton John is celebrating 35 years of sobriety. Here’s the story from People Magazine.

On Tuesday, July 29, the “I’m Still Standing” singer, 78, posted on Instagram and shared that he celebrated the milestone with his family. The photo showed the music legend’s display of flowers and several cards, including handmade cards from his two sons, Elijah, 12, and Zachary, 14, whom he shares with husband David Furnish, 62.

“Grateful for all the love on my sobriety birthday ” he captioned the post.

In the comments section, John also received congratulatory messages from fans and fellow stars, including Billie Jean King, Christina Perri and more.

Last year, when celebrating his sobriety journey, John posted a photo of his recovery chip, which is inscribed with Alcoholics Anonymous’ motto of “Unity, Service, and Recovery.” He told his fans, “34 years clean and sober. My life has never been better.”

John’s past struggles with drugs and alcohol have been well documented — specifically in the Taron Egerton-led biopic Rocketman, which dramatized the behind-the-scenes turmoil that led John to walk away from substances like alcohol, marijuana, and his self-described “worst best friend,” cocaine.

“The life I was leading — flying on [his legendary private plane] the Starship, 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,” John told Variety in 2019. “I lost complete touch with that.”

“There were times I was having chest pains or staying up for three days at a time,” he continued. “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.”

It was the 1990 death of Ryan White, a young AIDS victim whom John befriended, that helped put his life in perspective. After years of denial, John checked himself into Chicago’s Parkside Lutheran Hospital on July 29, 1990.

“My sobriety has brought me everything that I could possibly wish for,” he reflected. 

“I am a survivor,” he told the outlet. “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.”

John has since helped others on their sobriety journeys. He reached out to support Boy George’s sobriety journey, and as he revealed in his 2019 memoir, Me, that he’s Eminem’s Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.