Elton John keeps his sons ‘grounded’ by not telling them he’s famous
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 22: David Furnish (L) and Elton John with sons Elijah and Zachary attending the ‘Sherlock Gnomes’ London Family Gala hosted by Sir Elton John and David Furnish at Cineworld Leicester Square on April 22, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
Sir Elton John has opened up on how he balances fatherhood and fame.
Talking in a new interview with The Mirror, the ‘Your Song’ hitmaker talked about how he and husband David Furnish ensure that their sons Zachary, eight, and six-year-old Elijah stay ‘grounded’ despite their father’s worldwide success, their family’s wealth and well, the fact that their godmother is Lady Gaga (aka their “Gagamother”).
Turns out, the trick is relatively simple. He just has to “leave Elton on the stage.”
Sir Elton John has two sons with husband David Furnish, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John and Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
“They’ve seen the tour in New York,” he said, when asked how exposed the pair are to what ‘Daddy does’. “But when we are out and people are taking our photograph or ask for a photograph, they say, ‘Why do they want your photograph?’
“We always say, ‘Because people like my music’. We don’t say because I’m famous, or anything like that. I try to leave Elton on the stage. They love their daddy’s music, but they also like a lot of other people’s music so they’re quite grounded.”
Elton John talks his farewell yellow brick road tour
Sir Elton is currently in the middle of his two-year-long Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
“I’m having so much fun,” he said of the ongoing gig, which kicked off in in Pennsylvania in September 2018.
“I didn’t expect to have as much fun as I’m having but what we try to do visually and musically is elevate it to another level, because if you’re going to do one more tour, you’ve got to make it a little special.
Taron Egerton (R) will play a young Sir Elton in upcoming biopic ‘Rocketman’ (Rich Fury/Getty Images for EJAF)
“I’m singing really well, too, and, visually, it’s great. I’m having a terrific time,” he concluded. “It hasn’t become a drudge yet. I mean, ask me in another 250 shows.
“By the time I finish I’ll be at least 75. That will be a chance to reassess what I want to do. I just owe it to those children to be there for them.”
Rocketman: From music to the movies
Sir Elton’s career provides the basis for hotly-anticipated biopic Rocketman, starring Kingsman: The Secret Service actor Taron Egerton.
Directed by Dexter Fletcher, it charts the icon’s breakthrough years as he goes from Reg Dwight, a student of the Royal Academy of Music, to the larger-than-life performer we know today.
When asked about the film at his annual Oscars Viewing party in support of the AIDS Foundation on Sunday 24 March, Sir Elton said that comparisons between Rocketman and Freddie Mercury-drama Bohemian Rhapsody weren’t fair. Because, unlike in the latter where the actors lip-synced, “Taron sings everything” himself.
Rocketman is released in UK cinemas on 24 May.
