Elton John has opened up about his ongoing health challenges after suffering severe vision problems over the past year, sharing a message of resilience: “You mustn’t give up hope.”
In a recent interview with Variety, the legendary musician reflected on the difficulties he’s faced since contracting an eye infection while on holiday in France last year. The infection has left him completely blind in his right eye and partially sighted in his left. “It’s been devastating,” he admitted. “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 setbacks, John emphasized his determination to remain hopeful. “I’ve just gotta be patient that someday science will help me with this one. Once they help me with this one, I’ll be fine. It’s exactly like the AIDS situation. 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.”
John’s husband, David Furnish, offered further insight into the treatments they’ve been exploring. “We’ve been doing some treatments and there’s been some improvements in his left eye, which is really good,” he said. Furnish also highlighted the accelerating pace of medical innovation, adding, “What AI is doing for medicine and science alone is astonishing.”
The singer remained candid about the emotional toll of his condition. “I mean, you just have to grin and bear it. It does get me down sometimes. But on the whole, I’ve got a wonderful family; I have two great kids; I have him,” he said, referring to Furnish.
Even with these health challenges, John continues to remain active and positive in his musical career. Despite announcing his retirement from touring, he has been confirmed as one of the headliners for Rock in Rio 2026, showing that his passion for music remains undimmed.
