HIS ailing health has robbed him of his eyesight and led to a string of big operations, but Sir Elton John is still standing.
The 77-year-old reckons there is “not much left” of him following joint replacement surgeries and the removal of his tonsils, appendix and prostate.
Yet he shows no signs of slowing down, and pals are now worried he is pushing his frail body too hard.
Elton had to be helped off stage in London on Sunday by his husband David Furnish because he couldn’t see.
He had been appearing at a charity gala for the Devil Wears Prada musical.
The legendary singer — who has also been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and has had one hip and two knees replaced — was supposed to take it easy after his stamina- defying, 330-date Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which ended in 2023.
The idea was that the musician, who raked in nearly a billion dollars from the sell-out concerts, was going to spend more time with his two young sons.
But having tried “recuperating” at home over the summer due to health issues, Elton has been in a whirlwind of projects throughout the autumn.
They include working on a new album, launching two musicals, promoting a documentary and photography exhibition at London’s V&A museum and fundraising for charity.
He recently expressed fears he will not live long enough to see his boys Zachary, 13, and Elijah, 11, marry.
Insiders reckon he needs to ease up if he is going to survive to witness those happy events.
A source told The Sun: “Elton’s friends are seriously concerned about how much he has taken on and believe it is having a major impact on his health.
“Quite a few people who he is close to have now encouraged him to slow down because he has been busier than ever this year.
“As well as recording a new album, he has launched two theatre shows and a huge V&A exhibition, as well as continuing with his weekly Apple Music radio show.
“He isn’t getting any younger and his health has been deteriorating in the past few years.
“The whole point of his farewell tour was that he would be home more once it finished, but he is still working to an intense schedule.
“Something has to give.”
Elton always had an incredible work ethic, releasing 13 albums between 1970 and 1975.
But there was a price to pay.
In 1979, the all-action performer had to be carried off stage in Los Angeles suffering from exhaustion, having slumped at his piano while singing Better Off Dead.
An ambulance was called, but he returned to the stage ten minutes later to finish the concert.
And Elton’s “show must go on” attitude does not appear to have changed.
The multi-millionaire has made sure he completed numerous commitments over recent months.
Fans began to worry when the Rocket Man singer made a statement on Instagram in September saying he had been suffering from a “severe” eye infection which had left him with “limited vision in one eye”.
He revealed a team of doctors and nurses were helping him to recover.
But just four days later, Elton was pictured on the back of a golf buggy at the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of the Disney+ documentary Elton John: Never Too Late.
At the end of the screening, he stood by husband David’s side and tearfully told the audience: “The thing I love about this movie is that I have him and I have my two sons.
“I will hope to keep making music, but I want to be at home with them and see them and treasure them.
“It’s the greatest feeling I’ve ever had in my life — more than having a first No1 album on Billboard.
“Yeah, that was really nice for about five minutes, but this is for a lifetime.”
In the weeks that followed, Elton released a book titled Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories Of My Life On Tour, promoted his Fragile Beauty photography exhibition and continued to work on his Apple Music radio show.
He also met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at the Downing Street international investment summit and is releasing a single called Never Too Late with Brandi Carlile.
That’s a lot of work for someone seemingly as fragile as Elton.
In October, he said: “To be honest with you, there’s not much of me left. I don’t have tonsils, adenoids or an appendix.
“I don’t have a prostate. I don’t have a right hip or a left knee or a right knee.
“In fact, the only thing left is my left hip. But I’m still here.”
Elton then told River Cafe founder Ruth Rogers last month that he had to give up sugar due to diabetes.
On the Ruthie’s Table 4 podcast, he explained: “I can have an apple, I can eat a bit of melon.
“As long as you’re sensible about it, it doesn’t shoot your blood sugar up.
“But what I crave is chocolate and ice cream. I can’t have any ice cream.”
At least one of Elton’s projects has the potential to raise his blood pressure.
The Tammy Faye musical, which he co-created with Scissor Sisters star Jake Shears, is to close on Sunday after a month on Broadway.
It won awards in London, but the venue has often been around a third empty in the US after it was panned by American critics.
He will be hoping for better from The Devil Wears Prada stage show, which has just opened at London’s Dominion Theatre.
Elton wrote the music for the adaptation of the 2006 movie, which starred Meryl Streep.
Wearing rose-tinted glasses, he told an audience at the show’s premiere on Sunday: “I haven’t been able to come to many previews because I have lost my eyesight.
“So it’s hard for me to see it.
“But I love to hear it and, boy, it sounded good tonight.”
Other sources say that there is no connection between his eye condition and his work schedule.
Losing his vision does not seem to be undermining Elton’s plans to release fresh music.
The singer, who has sold more than 300million records in a career spanning six decades, has written an album with his long-time lyrical collaborator Bernie Taupin.
It will be his first since Wonderful Crazy Night more than eight years ago.
Last year, Elton said it was “finished”, but it is yet to come out.
He recently told ABC’s Good Morning America that “going into the studio and recording” was difficult because “I can’t see a lyric for a start”.
Elton added: “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.”
There is little doubt that Elton is one of life’s fighters.
His 1983 hit I’m Still Standing is an anthem that still resonates today, having been streamed on Spotify a billion times.
Elton managed to overcome a crippling addiction to alcohol and cocaine by going into rehab in 1990.
Since living a sober life, he has gone from strength to strength.
Last year, he won an Emmy to go with his two Oscars, one Tony award and five Grammys.
But in his Disney+ documentary, which starts streaming from December 13, Elton seems to recognise his current pace of life may be unsustainable.
He says: “I want to see our children married. But I don’t think I’m going to be around for that.”
Friends, fans and family will be hoping he’s wrong.
