He may have been spotted in a wheelchair, but Elton John wants fans to know that he’s still standing.
The legendary performer posted a message on Instagram Thursday shooting down rumors he is in bad health while on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
“I want to thank all my fans for reaching out to ask about my health, after the tabloids ran a silly story about my ‘looking frail’ in a wheelchair,” the singer began.
“The true story is that I’m in top health, loving my shows and playing and singing at my very best. I give 100% every night and never want to disappoint, especially after everyone has waited so long to get back to seeing shows. Your response to every show has been phenomenal and I’m loving every minute of it.”
John, 75, explained that he was transported in a wheelchair after a recent show during the current European leg of his tour to save his body from wear and tear.
“After another rousing 2.5 hour show, we arrived at Leipzig airport just before curfew, to find part of the airport had closed,” he wrote. “It was an extremely long walk to get to the plane, so my team kindly laid on a wheelchair so I could rest my hip after doing the show. That’s all folks.
“Last night was another blockbuster show in Bern and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at this weekend’s sold-out show in Milan. Thanks for all your kind words of support! Love, Elton xx.”
John had surgery on his hip last September after he fell, forcing him to reschedule multiple dates on the European part of his tour to 2023.
“At the end of my summer break I fell awkwardly on a hard surface and have been in considerable pain and discomfort in my hip ever since,” he wrote in a statement he shared on Twitter.
“Despite intensive physio and specialist treatment, the pain has continued to get worse and is leading to increasing difficulties moving.
John, who also had to postpone some dates on the tour earlier this year after he tested positive for COVID-19, has said that this will indeed be his final tour, noting he wants to spend more time with his family. He and husband David Furnish are parents of Zachary, 11, and Elijah, 9.
“I’ll be 76 (when the tour is over),” he told TODAY last October. “I don’t know how much time I have left on this earth after that. You know, I’ve had enough applause. I don’t want to keep traveling. I don’t want to be away from my family.”
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