"I was terrified": Elton John recalls performing sober for the first time
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Iconic singer Sir Elton John has revealed that he was worried he wouldn’t be able to perform sober after taking a year off music to get treatment for his addiction issues back in 1990.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He attended Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in order to get sober but admitted going back to performing was difficult.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He spoke to </span><a href="https://variety.com/2019/music/news/elton-john-sober-addiction-recovery-1203392566/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Variety</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">’s</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> recovery issue about the fear he was facing. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“After I finally surrendered and decided to seek treatment for my addiction, there came a point when I wondered if I would ever go back to work as Elton John again. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But at that time, I wasn’t thinking too much about being an artist. I had reached the lowest ebb in my life – the absolute bottom. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I hated myself so much. I was consumed with shame. All I wanted to do was get well. I put all of the energy I had left toward my recovery.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">John made a point of clearing his diary in order to give him time to focus on his recovery but realised there was one charity concert he didn’t want to back out of.</span></p>
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<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This made him realise that he would be able to perform again. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When the day arrived, I was terrified, but I did manage to get through the performance. It was the only time I stepped on a stage that year, and I had to do it on my own without the band. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In retrospect, I’m glad I went straight in at the deep end… That show gave me confidence to know that I could still perform sober.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">John went onto write his 1992 album </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The One</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and worked on </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Lion King</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> soundtrack for which he won an Oscar after his treatment.</span></p>
