Elton John struggling to record new music due to eye condition: “I can’t see a lyric for a start”
Elton John has spoken further about his ongoing eye condition, explaining that it has left him “stuck” while attempting to record new music.
In September, the legendary singer-songwriter revealed that he had been dealing with a “severe eye infection” over the summer that left him with “only limited vision in one eye”.
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“I am healing, but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye,” he continued.
“I am so grateful for the excellent team of doctors and nurses and my family, who have taken such good care of me over the last several weeks.
“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.”
John has now given an update on his health issue during a new interview on Good Morning America, where he also discussed his upcoming documentary film Never Too Late.
“I unfortunately lost my eyesight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the South of France,” he told Robin Roberts. “It’s been four months now since I haven’t been able to see. And my left eye is not the greatest.”
.@eltonofficial shares a glimpse into his personal life with new documentary, "Elton John: Never Too Late." The music legend revealed to @robinroberts that he lost sight in his right eye in July due to an infection. pic.twitter.com/sKza3RMbQo
— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 25, 2024
The comments came after John was asked about the status of the new album he completed with Bernie Taupin last year.
“There’s hope and encouragement that it will be OK,” he continued. “But I’m kind of stuck at the moment, because I can do something like this [the interview], but going into the studio and recording, I don’t know. Because I can’t see a lyric for a start.
“We’re taking an initiative to try and get it better. But at the moment, that’s really what we’re concentrating on. It’s never fortunate for anything like this to happen. And it kind of floored me, and I can’t see anything, I can’t read anything, I can’t watch anything.”
Despite these recent struggles, John said he was “the luckiest man in the world” and explained that he was “so proud of the documentary” – which is coming to Disney+ next month.
Watch the video interview in the post above.
Earlier this month, John and Brandi Carlile released a new song called ‘Never Too Late’ – written for the upcoming documentary of the same name. He told GMA that the collaborative track “encompasses what I’ve been through”.
It was reported in late 2023 that the pair had completed a new full album together.
The Never Too Late film follows the musician as he reflects on his life and 50-year career while preparing for his final North American stadium show at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium in November 2022.
The doc “pull[s] back the curtain” on John’s life, featuring “never-before-seen concert footage of him over the past 50 years, as well as hand-written journals and present-day footage of him and his family”.
Directed by R.J. Cutler and John’s husband David Furnish, the project received its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The movie was given a limited theatrical release in the US and the UK on November 15.
In May, John’s longtime songwriting partner Taupin said the music icon was preparing to surprise release his next studio album.
“Elton and I have an album coming out very soon, but I daren’t say anything about it because I’m under strict orders to keep schtum,” he said at the time.
“It’s all done and recorded. I think it’s quite brilliant and quite contemporary and it will certainly surprise a lot of people and excite a lot of people and hopefully be successful.”
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Tom Skinner
NME
