Elton John's Many Health Issues Over The Years, Explained

Sir Elton John is a living legend, but even he has exhibited a healthy dose of self-doubt throughout his celebrated career. "Every creative artist does have doubt and moments of, 'Am I doing the right thing? Am I good enough?' And that's what turns us into monsters," John admitted to Variety in a candid 2019 interview, acknowledging that the subsequent alcohol and drug abuse following these intrusive thoughts only made matters significantly worse. Unfortunately, the "Rocket Man" hitmaker's health wasn't a top priority for most of his time in the spotlight. John's struggles with substance abuse are well-documented, but he was also silently battling an eating disorder. 

During a 2010 interview with Piers Morgan, the legendary performer opened up about his eating disorder, saying his benders left him so hungry he'd eat anything in sight. "I'd binge and have like three bacon sandwiches, a pot of ice cream and then I'd throw it up," he shared (via Pink News). "I became bulimic and then go and do the whole thing all over again." While preparing for his big farewell tour, John faced one of his scariest health battles yet when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. 

He initially made this surprising revelation in his memoir, "Me". Instead of opting for chemotherapy, the singer had his prostate removed. "I said, 'I don't care, take it out,'" John told NBC of his reasoning at the time (via Today), adding, "I have children. I want to see them. I want to grow up with them. It was a very easy decision to make." Unfortunately, John's cancer diagnosis wasn't his first or last big health scare, and throughout his largely tragic life, he has paid many visits to the hospital.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

Elton John has always been a jetsetter, and this didn't change after his cancer surgery. Not long after the procedure took place, the singer was in South America, where he contracted a nasty virus. "I came back to England and (went) straight into the hospital because I was shaking with fever," he recalled to NBC a couple of years after the fact (via Today). The virus put him through a terrible ordeal, and in the aftermath, John didn't realize how close his brush with death really was in the days that followed. As the "I'm Still Standing" hitmaker detailed, "I had tubes coming out of every part of my body, and it took me seven weeks to recover from that when I went home." 

Aside from the virus, John was also suffering from an infection he contracted post-surgery, which naturally only added to the severity of his symptoms. He shared the experience in his memoir, confessing that, for perhaps the first time in his life, he was truly scared that the jig was up. "In the hospital, alone at the dead of night, I'd prayed: please don't let me die, please let me see my kids again, please give me a little longer," John sadly disclosed. His lengthy hospital stay gave him ample time to think, and the "Tiny Dancer" singer realized that, if he wanted to improve his health and spend more time with his family, he had to give up something he never dreamed he would. 

As a result, "Any lingering doubts about retiring from touring just evaporated," John wrote.

In February 2020, Elton John was touring New Zealand, but things went sideways during his Auckland show when his voice disappeared midway through the setlist. John had been open with fans when he first took to the stage, informing them that he'd been diagnosed with walking pneumonia just that morning but wanted to do the show regardless. His performance proceeded with only minor hiccups at first, with the singer only having to halt things once to let his doctors take a quick look at him. As he told the crowd at one point, "I don't know how much longer I can sing. I'll try, but I've got nothing left," (via CBS News). 

After finishing the 15th song on the setlist, his voice gave out completely. In footage posted by Page Six, John could be seen trying to continue on but quickly realizing his voice would no longer cooperate. "I'm so sorry," he said hoarsely while the crowd loudly cheered him on. The "Your Song" hitmaker apologized repeatedly while he was helped off by one of his crew members. He apologized again on Instagram afterwards, writing, "I was determined to give you the best show humanly possible. I played and sang my heart out, until my voice could sing no more." He also thanked his fans for their support and understanding.

Thanks to all that Elton John's body has had to endure over the years, the singer hasn't got that many organs left. While speaking following a screening of his documentary, "Elton John: Never Too Late," the legendary star thanked everyone for their support and cracked some jokes about the state of his physical health. "To be honest with you, there's not much of me left," he quipped (via Page Six). "I don't have tonsils, adenoids or an appendix. I don't have a prostate. I don't have a right hip or a left knee or a right knee. In fact, the only thing left to me is my left hip."

Fans were acutely aware of the British crooner's hip replacement because it interfered with his much-anticipated farewell tour, which was set to take place in 2021. But as fate would have it, John suffered a fall that left him largely immobile and in great pain. "I have been advised to have an operation as soon as possible to get me back to full fitness and make sure there is no long-term complications," he wrote on Instagram.

While sitting down with Lorraine Kelly (via Hello! magazine) a few months later, John elaborated on his injury and his decision to postpone the tour, explaining, "I can't move sideways, I can't get in and out of a car. I wouldn't be 100 percent fit — I wouldn't be 100 percent confident because I'm in pain most of the time. The decision had to be made because I wouldn't want to go on a stage and give less than 110 percent."

In 2024, Elton John took to Instagram to share yet another major health scare with his fans. Despite retiring from touring in 2023, it appeared that the British singer couldn't escape his health woes despite having a bit more downtime. In the candid post, John shared that he suffered from an eye infection that was so severe he still couldn't properly see. "I am healing, but it's an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye," he confirmed. The A-lister reassured fans that, despite having limited vision for the time being, he remained optimistic. "I have been quietly spending the summer recuperating at home, and I am feeling positive about the progress I have made in my healing and recovery thus far," John reasoned. He also took a moment to thank the doctors and nurses who cared for him during this trying time.

Fans quickly flooded the comments section with well-wishes. "Get Well Soon," John's longtime friend, and fellow legendary singer, Billy Joel wrote. "Sending you much love and blessings Elton! Get well right quick!" a fan sweetly added. While speaking to Variety, in 2024, John acknowledged that the infection took a mental toll on him, depriving him of many of the daily activities he enjoys doing most. "It's been very distressing," he professed. "I'm used to getting out in the morning, looking at all the newspapers, looking at the charts, looking at everything, how the world is doing creatively, and I've lost that for the time being." Likewise, the infection also meant that he could barely watch the screening of his documentary, "Elton John: Never Too Late," at the Toronto International Film Festival. He added, "I couldn't really see it because of my eye, but I sensed it."

Given the decades Elton John has spent entertaining crowds with loud music, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that he has hearing loss. In November 2018, the British singer had to cancel one of his sold-out shows because of a debilitating ear infection. Fans were not happy with the news, given that the concert only got canceled 30 minutes after it was supposed to start. A statement posted to his account on X, formerly known as Twitter, elaborated on the last-minute cancellation: "Elton has been on a course of antibiotics to combat an ear infection and it was expected that these would clear the infection in time to play the Orlando show." Unfortunately, doctors didn't deem John fit to perform moments before he was set to grace fans with his presence. 

The statement also pointed out that the "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" hitmaker was dealing with ear pain and impaired hearing, which would have made performing a live show incredibly challenging. Insider sources confirmed to the New York Post in 2021 that John has permanent hearing loss, which is no doubt incredibly difficult for the living legend to deal with considering his lifelong love of music. 

When John appeared in a video for the Starkey Hearing Foundation in 2013, he confidently asserted that if he could choose, he'd rather be blind than deaf. "It's something you take for granted," John argued. "I can't imagine. Because that's what I love the most, the music, that's what I do [...] Not being able to hear, I think, is the hardest thing, it's an isolationist thing. You'd be in the dark."