42 Elton: “My boys earn pocket money by doing chores around the house”
The music legend, 72, reveals how he keeps his sons grounded – and why 2019 has been his best year yet
He’s just been named the most successful solo male artist ever, and spends much of his time travelling the world on tour, or socialising in lavish locations with the likes of the Beckhams and Prince Harry and Meghan.
But Elton John reveals that, despite allowing them to enjoy the glitz and the glamour, he and husband David Furnish, 57, are determined to keep their sons Zachary, eight, and Elijah, six – whose godmother is Lady Gaga – as humble as possible.
DOWN TO EARTH
Elton, 72, says, “My boys are pampered and have an affluent lifestyle, but they are very down-to-earth. They have a fantastic life, but they earn their money. They get pocket money by doing chores around the house and stuff in the garden. When they get a car, they won’t get a brand new BMW. They’re going to get a second-hand car, and pay me back the money. And they know that!”
Elton met his husband 26 years ago, after a mutual friend brought David along to Elton’s for dinner. After forming a civil partnership in 2005, they became parents to their two boys – who they had via a surrogate – before getting married in 2014, when gay marriage became legal.
The music legend believes it was written in the stars for them, and a spiritual calling brought them together that day.
He says, “It was 2pm on a Saturday afternoon, and I thought, ‘Bugger this,
I’m bored and lonely’.
“I rang up a friend of mine and said, ‘Eric, I’d love to meet some gay people and have fun and just have a lovely evening.’ To cut a long story short, four people came with Eric and one of them was David.
“I often think, ‘Why did I make that phone call on that afternoon? What made me do that?’ If I hadn’t made that phone call, I wouldn’t have met David. We’ve been together 26 years now and it’s an extraordinary relationship. It led to us having the most wonderful life together.”
This year has seen Elton enjoy, in his words, the “most successful year of his life” – which has included the release of hit autobiographical movie Rocketman, the start of his ongoing worldwide tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, and now the
release of his autobiography Me.
But Elton admits there have been moments in his life when he wasn’t sure if he would be around to continue his prolific career, adding that he feels very fortunate he was able to overcome his decade-long battle with drugs and alcohol.
HIGHS AND LOWS
He says, “I still have to pinch myself. How lucky am I to be sitting here talking to you? My life has had some terrible downs and some incredible ups.
“I’ve been so lucky. I love my children so much and they’ve allowed me to be something I’d never thought I could possibly be – a father. Before them, I was going to die on stage like Tommy Cooper. My goal now is to stay alive long enough to see them get married.”
And Elton adds he decided to do his twoyear Farewell tour – which started earlier this year and consists of more than 300 concerts worldwide – as he wants to take
a step back from performing and spend the remaining chapter of his life focusing on his family.
He says, “Initially, David and I were going to be two very affluent gay people, going around the world and having a wonderful time, but having no purpose in life, no one to leave it all to.
FAMILY FIRST
“After we had the boys, David said to me, ‘What do you want to do now?’ I said, ‘I’d like to do a Farewell tour, but I want to stop travelling because I want to spend time with my boys.’ This is what the last part of my life is going to be. I don’t need to tour any more – I’m fed up with it. I want to spend my time with him and the boys.
“I’m doing this tour to say I’m going out in the biggest way possible, playing the best I can, singing the best I can. And then I just want to get on with the rest of my life.”
‘I’ve been so lucky – I love my children so much’