Elton John Speaks Out About Past: 'I Was A Drug Addict and Self-Absorbed'
In a recent interview, Elton John admitted that he has wasted a lot of time in his life on bad decisions.
Although Elton John has sold over 250 million records and is often considered one of the greatest music artists of all time, his success has not come without tribulation.
In an interview about his upcoming memoir, "Love Is the Cure: On Life, Loss and the End of AIDS," the singer has touched upon many issues, some of which he claims were a waste of time.
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"I was a drug addict and self-absorbed," John described of his time in the 1980s as the outbreak of AIDS was spreading. "You know, I was having people die right, left and center around me, friends. And yet I didn't stop the life that I had, which is the terrible thing about addiction. It's that – you know, it's that bad of a disease."
The singer also exclaimed how fortunate he was to have walked away from the epidemic without contracting the disease, even after he had continued his drug abuse.
"When you take a drug and you take a drink and you mix those two together, you think you're invincible," the musician said. "I came out of this HIV-negative. I was the luckiest man in the world."
Since ending his struggle with drugs, John now believes he has become an even better musician.
"I certainly, if I'm being honest with you, don't think you write as good a song on cocaine as you do when you're normal," he tells Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep. "I think now I'm a much better singer, and I pay much more lip service to the lyrics, and even when I sing songs that I've sung a thousand times, they seem new to me."
The singer also admitted that his previous life style had helped to shape him into a better person.
"I think the experience that I went through has not only helped me as a person, but it's also helped me as a musician and a singer," he added.
