Elton John marks 30 years of sobriety

Elton John has marked the 30th anniversary of getting sober.

"Reflecting on the most magical day having celebrated my 30th Sobriety Birthday," the rock star, who is married to filmmaker David Furnish, wrote on Twitter Thursday. "So many lovely cards, flowers and chips from my sons, David, friends in the Program, staff at the office and in our homes. I’m truly a blessed man."

In a subsequent tweet, John noted that if he hadn't gotten sober he would not be alive today.

"If I hadn’t finally taken the big step of asking for help 30 years ago, I’d be dead," he wrote. "Thank-you from the bottom of my heart to all the people who have inspired and supported me along the way."

In a 2019 article, John wrote for The Guardian to promote the release of the biopic Rocketman he discussed his substance abuse problems and, in particular, his addiction to cocaine.

"In a way, it’s a miracle I didn’t go off the rails before I did," he wrote It took three or four years – and my discovery of cocaine – before things started getting out of hand, maybe because I was working so hard that I didn’t have too much time to think about it. I was always on tour or making a new album. Of course, when I did go off the rails, that happened like a missile as well...No one forced me to do drugs and drink. In fact, more than a few people tried to warn me I was out of control. It took a fairly Herculean effort to get yourself noticed for taking too much cocaine in the music industry of 1970s LA, but I was clearly prepared to put the hours in."

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