Elton John is still struggling to see, 15 months after contracting an eye infection in the South of France.
He tells Variety, “It’s been devastating. 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.
“I’ve had the most incredible life, and there is hope. 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.”
Elton has been undergoing treatments and there has been improvement in his left eye. The retina in his right eye is damaged, but he’s been in touch with doctors to see if anything can be done.
Fortunately, the vision problems have not affected his piano playing. “I tell you what, I’m singing better than I’ve ever done before, and I’m playing really well, and I’m enjoying it, and that is helping me a lot. Music has been my whole life and has given me so much and takes me on journeys that I never thought I would ever go on — and it’s still doing that. I just like doing the odd thing. It pays the rent very well, and it keeps me musical. I just can’t wait to go into the studio now and write some new songs and go from there…
“I’ve got seven new lyrics from [my lyricist] Bernie [Taupin], and they’re really, really good, so I can’t wait to go in the studio with [producer] Andrew [Watt] and just write and see what happens…
“There is a part of me that wants to do a much more commercial record and do more Bernie Taupin songs that are more of today than yesterday.”
Elton’s last album was this past April’s Who Believes in Angels? with Brandi Carlile. This Friday — Record Store Day — they will release Who Believes in Angels? Live at the London Palladium. The two-disc vinyl set contains 10 tracks from this past April’s CBS special, An Evening With Elton & Brandi.
And in other Elton news, he’s announced that he will headline Rock in Rio on September 7th. He says he’s doing the show because he felt he let his Brazilian fans down by not bringing his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour there.
