Elton John is celebrating a big milestone, and sharing about it on social media!
On Monday, the 72-year-old shared that July 29 marks his 29th anniversary of sobriety with a touching post on Instagram.
Related: Elton John & Taron Egerton Perform A ‘Tiny Dancer’ Duet At Oscars Party!
Along with a photo of his Alcoholics Anonymous 29-year coin (below), the Bennie & The Jets singer wrote:
“29 years ago today, I was a broken man. I finally summoned up the courage to say 3 words that would change my life: ‘I need help’. Thank-you to all the selfless people who have helped me on my journey through sobriety. I am eternally grateful.”
In May, the legendary performer opened up (below) toVariety while at the Cannes Film Festival about the early days of his career, which were plagued by addictions, bulimia, and anger management:
“The life I was leading, flying on the Starship [his legendary private plane], 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. I lost complete touch with that. I vowed when I did change my life that that would never happen again.”
He vulnerably recalled those dark days (below), many of which were chronicled in the biopic Rocketman, where he was portrayed by Taron Egerton:
“There were times I was having chest pains or staying up for three days at a time. 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.”
Ultimately, it was the death of Ryan White in 1990, a young AIDS victim whom Sir Elton John befriended which made him open his eyes, checking himself into Chicago’s Parkside Lutheran Hospital on July 29, 1990.
Because of his addiction he learned to better communicate with those around him, he explained:
“What I couldn’t do when I was an addict was communicate, except when I was on cocaine I thought I could but I talked rubbish. I have a confrontation problem which I don’t have any more because I learned if you don’t communicate and you don’t talk about things then you’re never going to find a solution.”
Aside from his addiction, he came from a broken home as a child, where his father left after finding out his mother was having an affair:
“I’ve come to understand — as you get older you understand — the circumstances they went through. I’m not angry or bitter about that whatsoever, but it did leave a scar and that scar took a long time to heal — and maybe it will never heal totally.”
But through it all, he now has the tools to work through his demons:
“I am a survivor. 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.”
Congratulations on this amazing milestone!
[Image via Sean Thorton/WENN.]
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