The “Candle In The Wind” singer has always been open about his past struggle with alcohol and drug abuse. In 2015, he took to his Instagram page to reveal that he has been clean for 25 years. He made the announcement with a picture of a cake topped by the number and the phrase “One day at a time.”
According to him, he turned to drugs to combat his shyness. Although known to be a flamboyant rock legend who could mesmerize the crowd on stage in the 1970s, he was a shy and reserved individual offstage. He turned to cocaine to overcome this and for over 16 years, he experienced life through a drug-fueled haze. His addiction during the earlier decade will be represented onscreen in the biopic Rocketman, starring Taron Egerton as John and Jamie Bell as his longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin.
“And I’m not being flippant when I say that, when I look back I shudder at the behaviour and what I was doing to myself.