Elton John is one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. His records have generated over 300 million in sales, which makes him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. People know him best from his 1972 internationally renowned song “Rocket Man.”
Like many musicians and rock stars, John developed a severe addiction problem when it came to drugs and alcohol. He lived the party lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock and roll until he was in his early 40s. That was when he realized that he needed to make a change quickly.
“I was a broken man,” John wrote on his Twitter and Instagram pages. He had to admit the truth to himself by saying, “I need help.” That was when he decided to stay sober and seek recovery from his addiction.
John joined Alcoholics Anonymous approximately 30 years ago. It is certainly a landmark achievement for any rock star. With all the temptations and pressures from his peers in the music scene, John was able to resist the pressure by sticking to his 12-step recovery program religiously. religiously.
Before John became sober, he had a plethora of addictions. Drugs and alcohol were only part of his problem. He also had sex and shopping addictions too. A lot of these temptations stemmed from several emotional and psychological issues, such as anger problems and bulimia.
John was so obsessed with his appearance during the early days of his career that it put a lot of pressure on him. He relieved that pressure by focusing on his addictions. Unfortunately, that only led him down a path of further despair and heartache. But he was able to overcome those addictions one step at a time.
“I had to change my life really drastically,” John said in an interview. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you.” Of course, even John has admitted that it wasn’t an easy journey to stay sober. There were times that he would wake up with chest pains or muscle spasms. When this would happen, it was nearly impossible for him to get back to sleep. Sometimes he’d be awake for three days dealing with his chest pains.
However, John pulled through and stayed sober. He credits the supportive people in his life who encouraged him to remain on the right track. One person, in particular, is his husband of 5 years, David Furnish. They have maintained a civil partnership since 2005.
John describes himself as a survivor. But to other people battling their own addictions, John is inspirational. You don’t hear about too many rock legends who talk about sobriety and the dangers of drugs and alcohol. John is a legend just for that.
Usually, rock stars flaunt drugs and alcohol as part of their image. After the 1980s, John managed to clean up that image and recreate himself both professionally and personally.
Elton John shared with Variety
“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.”
Now, John is at a point in his life where he doesn’t have to run away from himself. He can be who he wants to be, and he doesn’t need drugs and alcohol to do it.
Watch for a picture of John’s 30-year sobriety coin on his Instagram profile. He’s bound to upload it.