S Poddar
Sir Elton John appeared tearfully recently at the Toronto International Film Festival. This was his first public appearance since announcing a severe eye infection. The occasion was the world premiere of his intimate documentary entitled Elton John: Never Too Late.
The documentary, produced by his husband, David Furnish, along with the renowned film director RJ Cutler, offers an insightfully personal look into the life, career, and love story of the iconic singer. It captures the artist in preparation for his final North American concert at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium-a milestone fittingly emblematic of an endpoint in his five-decade-long musical touring career.
The movie further sees a peek into the personal life of Elton John-into his abiding love with Furnish and their two sons, Zachary and Elijah. During the credits, the singer looked visibly moved; his voice shook in emotion as he addressed the audience.
“The thing that I love most about this movie is that I have him, Furnish, and I have my two sons,” Elton said. “I am incredibly proud of what I’ve done, but I want to be home with them, to see them, to cherish them.”
His words echoed a sentiment that has become more dear to him in recent years. Sure, his career has been riddled with countless accolades and chart-topping hits, but Elton has learned over time how much more meaningful family and personal connections are.
“It’s the greatest feeling I’ve ever had in my life,” he continued, with his voice still ringing with emotion. “More than having a number one album on Billboard, yeah, that was really nice for about five minutes, but this is a lifetime.”
The singer had been spotted at the film festival a week after his update on Instagram, where he updated fans about his health condition. In his post, he said that he has been fighting a serious eye infection which left his one eye with limited vision, though he said he was healing, it would take some time.
But Elton John, despite everything, remains unruffled. His presence at the film festival was a testament to his strength and that he is true to his music and to those people surrounding him. It’s evident that with every turn in life, family would remain the number one source of strength and inspiration.
