Elton John says he 'can't see' sons play sports or read after vision loss from eye infection

Fox News

06-04-2025

Elton John shared an emotional health update months after he revealed that he had suffered partial vision loss due to a "severe" eye infection.
During an interview with the Times of London, the 78-year-old music icon spoke out candidly about the pain of losing his eyesight and how it has impacted his life.
""I can't read. I can't see my boys playing rugby and soccer, and it has been a very stressful time because I'm used to soaking it all up," the father of two said. "It's distressing."
John and his husband, David Furnish, who married in 2014, share sons Zachary, 14, and Elijah, 12. The pair welcomed Zachary, who was born via surrogate in December 2010. In January 2013, John and Furnish became parents to Elijah, who was born via the same surrogate.
While speaking with the Times, the U.K. native shared that he "can't see the telly," adding that he has not "been able to see anything since last July."
"You get emotional, but you have to get used to it because I'm lucky to have the life I have," John said.
"I still have my wonderful family, and I can still see something out of here," he continued, pointing to his left eye.
"So you say to yourself, just get on with it."
The "Rocket Man" hitmaker first revealed his health struggles in September.
"Over the summer, I've been dealing with a severe eye infection that has unfortunately left me with only limited vision in one eye," he shared on social media. "I am healing, but it's an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye."
The singer added: "I have been quietly spending the summer recuperating at home, and am feeling positive about the progress I have made in my healing and recovery thus far."
During a November interview with "Good Morning America." John revealed that he contracted the infection over the summer in the South of France.
"It's been four months now since I haven't been able to see, and my left eye is not the greatest," he said.
"There's hope and encouragement that it'll be OK, but I'm kind of stuck at the moment because I can do something like this, but going into the studio and recording, I don't know," John explained, revealing he can't read lyrics.
"It kind of floored me," he later added. "I can't see anything. I can't read anything, I can't watch anything."
On Friday, John released his new album with Brandi Carlile, titled "Who Believes in Angels?"
The "Hold Me Closer" singer and Carlile collaborated on the album with record producer Andrew Watt and John's longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin. The quartet recorded "Who Believes in Angels?" over just 20 days between mid-October and early November 2023.
In the documentary "Elton John: Never Too Late," which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, the singer discussed the concerns that Zachary and Elijah have about his "mortality."
"They think about my mortality. They worry about my mortality," he expressed in the documentary. "Not so much David, but me," he added.
The five-time Grammy Award winner said he shares a close bond with his two sons and that they "love their daddy" and want nothing more than for him "to be around forever."
John's children are not the only ones who worry about him being around for the monumental moments of their lives. The singer said he "would love to be around forever," but he is aware that won't be the case.
"I want to see them have children and get married. I don't think I'm going to be around for that. Who knows? You never know. So that's why I want to use the best time – the best of my time – while I'm around," he added. "Time together is so wonderful and so precious."