Elton John: 'I was moments from death'

SIR ELTON JOHN has told how he was minutes from death when his appendix burst while he was on tour.

Elton has revealed that he was left moments from death after his appendix burst

The rock legend dismissed crippling stomach pains he had been suffering for a fortnight as “just a virus” and continued his punishing schedule.

In the end he was forced to walk off stage halfway through a gig in Germany.

And now he has told how close to death he came.

The 66-year-old singer was rushed to hospital where doctors performed an emergency operation to save his life.

 Crippling

After the surgery doctors told him he had been a “ticking time bomb”. He said: “From the moment it bursts you basically have 30 minutes to get to hospital or else that’s it, it’s over.” Sir Elton added: “I’m lucky I’m still alive. “I started feeling ill 14 days before I went into hospital. “It felt like crippling stomach pains.”

Sir Elton revealed that July’s drama had made him re-evaluate his life. He plans to cut back on touring to spend more time with sons Zachary, two, and seven-month-old Elijah, who he had with his film-maker husband David Furnish, 50, through a surrogate mother.

He added: “In a lot of ways this has been a huge wake-up call for me.

Elton says being settled with David Furnish and son Zachary is the happiest he has been.

“I mean, what am I doing? I’m 66, I’ve been through everything from the drugs and the bad behaviour and I’ve actually got myself into this situation that I’ve been happy with David for nearly 20 years.

“I’m no idiot.”

Sir Elton also revealed he had been desperate to help superstar singers Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse. He said that watching Amy, and knowing there was no way to stop the inevitable, was agonising for him. Winehouse was found dead in bed at her flat in Camden, north London, two years ago, aged 27. Sir Elton said: “I remember seeing her and just seeing everything that was going to happen and knowing there was no-one there to stop it.” And Sir Elton said he tried to help troubled Whitney, who was found dead last year at 48.

He claimed he left messages for the singer but she never called him back.