Elton John Looking To 'Science' But Remains 'Stoic' Amid 'Devastating' Eyesight Issues

Elton John’s eyesight challenges have progressively gotten worse, yet the iconic singer-songwriter has refused to give up hope. 

John recently spoke about his health, revealing that although things aren’t looking very positive at the moment, he still has faith that science can keep him from permanently losing his sight.

Despite his challenges, the singer considers himself lucky because he has had “the most incredible life” and is still able to do some of the things he loves. 

During a candid interview with Variety, the "Rocket Man" artist discussed many topics, including his fight against HIV/AIDs and growing concerns about his eye health. 

“It’s been devastating. 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,” he shared.

The 78-year-old composer lost his right eye last year after battling an aggressive eye infection. As such, he hasn’t been able to do the things he once easily did, such as reading or watching his sons play soccer and rugby. As expected, this has taken a toll on him and has put him in what he describes as a “distressing” state. 

Despite it all, John is determined to keep his focus on the remaining positives in his life, which include his ability to still play and sing. He is also keeping hope alive that progress in science will lead to a permanent solution soon enough. In his words:

“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. 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.”

Just like John, his partner, David Furnish, is also keeping hope alive that a scientific breakthrough would save the day at the end of it all. The 63-year-old CEO revealed that his partner has undergone some treatments and has noticed some improvements in his left eye, which is “really good.” 

He also noted that John is in contact with a lot of doctors who want to help and support. In addition to that, the evolution of AI in medicine gives the businessman hope that his lover’s eyesight will improve soon enough. 

“What AI is doing for medicine and science alone is astonishing. And 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,” he said. 

Amid his struggles, John noted that being able to sing and play at the Singapore Grand Prix gives him joy. He also credited his two children, partner, and friends for being a great support system for him.

The EGOT winner also has the support of his peers in the industry. He shared the heartwarming story of how Paul McCartney still FaceTimes him to check on him and how the love from others, such as Pete Townshend, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards, keeps him going. 

John’s candid interview comes almost a year after he revealed the severity of his eyesight challenges. 

As reported by The Blast, the singer took the stage at the London Dominion Theatre in December 2024, saying that he had had lost his vision.

“As some of you may know, I have had issues, and now I have lost my sight. I haven't been able to see the performance, but I have enjoyed it," he shared.

John then thanked Furnish, who was at the event with him, for being his “rock” throughout his health struggles. 

A few months before that, he took to Instagram to reveal that he contracted an eye infection in France which severely impacted his vision. At the time, he said that the healing was an “extremely slow process” and revealed that he expected his eyesight to return. 

The legendary singer was not left to carry the burden of his health challenges all alone. Per The Blast, his close friends expressed major concern for him.

They were reportedly concerned about John’s well-being as he continued to push himself workwise despite his ongoing health challenges. 

An insider close to the situation said, “Elton's friends are seriously concerned about how much he has taken on and believe it is having a major impact on his health.”

Shortly after John’s friends expressed concerns for his well-being, the composer alleviated their fears by sharing his belief that a higher power is on his side, per The Blast.

The singer noted that while he doesn’t believe in the “biblical God,” he knows that there’s a higher power that has been looking after him all his life. 

He noted that an unseen superior being saw him through his struggles with drugs and depression, and has always been there for him even though he hasn’t always acknowledged it.