Sir Elton John has opened up about losing sight in his right eye, calling the past 15 months "devastating" as he struggles to watch, read or see clearly. The 78-year-old music legend contracted a severe eye infection in France last summer that left him blind in one eye.
In an interview with US magazine Variety, Sir Elton revealed the extent of his vision problems. "It's been devastating," he said. "Because I lost my right eye and my left eye's not so good, the last 15 months have been challenging for me because I haven't been able to see anything, watch anything, read anything."
Despite the difficulties, the singer remains hopeful. "I've had the most incredible life, and there is hope," he told Variety. "I've just gotta be patient that someday science will help me with this one."
Support from celebrity friends
Sir Elton said fellow music icons regularly check in on him through FaceTime and video calls. "Paul McCartney FaceTimes me to see how I'm doing. It's really beautiful," he said. "The love I've received from him and from Pete Townshend and Mick Jagger and people like that has been amazing."
The singer explained that seeing people on his iPad screen is easier than meeting face-to-face. "The thing with my iPad is, I can actually see someone close up," he said, adding that he often calls singers Chappell Roan and Brandi Carlile.
Medical outlook
Sir Elton's husband, filmmaker David Furnish, told Variety that doctors have made "some improvements in his left eye" through ongoing treatments. However, the damage to the retina in his right eye presents a bigger challenge, as retinas don't heal naturally.
Furnish expressed optimism about emerging medical breakthroughs. "What AI is doing for medicine and science alone is astonishing," he said. "There's all kinds of interesting new theories and breakthroughs, and they can process the data and do the trials a lot more quickly than they could before."
Sir Elton compared his situation to the AIDS crisis, urging perseverance. "You mustn't give up hope, you must be stoic, you must be strong and you must always try and batter the door down to try and improve things," he told Variety.
Despite the challenges, Sir Elton announced on Tuesday that he will headline Rock In Rio, a festival in Rio de Janeiro, next September. The singer retired from touring in 2023 after his 330-date Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which included headlining Glastonbury Festival.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
