Elton John is sharing a candid update on his eyesight ... revealing he's still struggling to see months after suffering a severe infection that limited his vision.
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00:00to Elton John and a really stunning health update.
00:04He was on GMA talking about an infection
00:07that he had gotten a few months ago.
00:09And the result of that infection is that Elton John,
00:13one of the greatest musical geniuses of our time,
00:17can't see right now.
00:19I unfortunately lost my eyesight in my right eye
00:22in July because I had an infection in the south of France.
00:27And it's been four months now
00:28since I haven't been able to see.
00:30And my left eye is not the greatest.
00:31So there's hope and encouragement that it will be okay,
00:34but I'm kind of stuck at the moment
00:37because I can do something like this,
00:39but going into the studio and recording, I don't know
00:43because I can't see a lyric for a start.
00:45And it kind of floored me and I can't see anything.
00:47I can't read anything.
00:48I can't watch anything.
00:49This just, you know, it's just amazing
00:53to think about all the things that can go wrong
00:56in the human body.
00:59Sometimes without any explanation.
01:01And it's just, it's stunning to me as I get old
01:05that, you know, when you survive,
01:08it's like the biggest victory in the world.
01:10Yeah, and he's suffered from a number of health issues.
01:14He even said that his hearing,
01:16he's had like a tremendous hearing loss in his ears
01:20because of all the touring.
01:22He's had different surgeries, several organs removed.
01:25And I mean, he's 77 years old.
01:28He's at like my grandparents' age
01:29where like your daily topics are about like
01:32all the health issues you're having.
01:34Friends that have passed away because, you know,
01:36that's just kind of where he's at in his life.
01:39And it's sad to see.
01:40So help me out.
01:41The first thing I thought of,
01:43and I know I'm probably gonna get canceled over this.
01:47The first thing I thought of was Stevie Wonder
01:50because they just thought of as a musical great,
01:53he's now sitting at a piano
01:55and I'm sure Elton John can play without,
01:57I know I've watched him.
01:58He can play without looking at the piano.
02:00But what you heard him say is like he can't.
02:01He can't read the lyrics.
02:02He can't see the lyrics.
02:03And that's normally what he does with Bernie Taupin.
02:07Bernie Taupin writes the lyrics
02:08and then he sits down and writes the music
02:10to go with those lyrics, but he can't do that.
02:12Obviously, Stevie trained himself.
02:14Learned all his life to play without.
02:16Help me out here.
02:18Give me the name of the group that did Runaway Train.
02:21Soul Asylum?
02:23Runaway Train, Never Going Back, Runaway.
02:25Yeah, Soul Asylum.
02:27What does that have to do with it?
02:29Tie this up for me.
02:30Okay, the lead singer was,
02:33I watched a documentary last night on.
02:35Soul Asylum?
02:36Well, it was, I'm really into this.
02:39Wow, you are going digging deep.
02:40It's this new channel and it's really interesting
02:43and they have all these music.
02:44So anyway, the lead singer talked about,
02:47he lost all of his hearing.
02:49He went deaf because of performing.
02:51Very common with musicians.
02:52Very common with musicians.
02:54And I was thinking of that when I was watching Elton,
02:57not necessarily that the eyesight
02:58is connected to performing,
03:00but all the things that singers have to endure
03:03and especially hearing.
03:04That was, I don't know, it just struck me.
03:06Hi, this is Anish.
03:08I'm in Chicago.
03:09Now listen, I might not be as old as Elton John.
03:12I'm not in my 20s anymore.
03:13But one thing that I've learned is that as time goes on,
03:16our body needs a little bit more time to recover.
03:19I am grateful that we have the LGBTQ plus legend,
03:22Elton John with us still today.
03:24But him saying that he's still struggling with his vision
03:28and is also entertaining the idea of getting back to work.
03:32You've done so much, Elton.
03:34Enjoy the fruits of your labor.
03:36Okay.
03:37But here's the thing.
03:38I think he really enjoys the art
03:41and that's why he doesn't just want to lay back.
03:43He wants to make music.