Famed pop icon Elton John once struggled with alcoholism and substance abuse. However, in the past decades, he’s managed to overcome his addiction. Recently, through a social media post, the 79-year-old musician marked an important chapter in his life and revealed to the world that he is officially 36 years sober.
Elton John celebrates 36 years of sobriety
In one of his latest Instagram posts, Elton John celebrated the news of his 36 years of sobretiy with full zeal. In the photo, the musician was seen sitting in an outdoor restaurant area, with a wine glass filled with his own brand of non-alcoholic wine and a bottle of the same resting in an ice bucket. He was smiling big at the camera while wearing his signature pair of quirky sunglasses and printed button up shirt. Celebrating the news, he captioned the post: “36 years sober today. Raising a 0% glass to life. Grateful for every single day.” He also posted the same photo on the stories section along with his song, ‘I’m Still Standing’ playing in the background.
Netizens and fans react to the news
Soon after posting the story and post on his social media account, fans and netizens came together to share their love and support with the singer. Many people commented “Congratulations!” along with heart emojis to express how happy they were for him. One person commented, “My Hero”, while another shared their own journey and added, “Celebrated 6 months sober yesterday! Well done @eltonjohn.”Another fan commented that, “I know you can’t see it but how has being sober for 20+ years change your life?”, while a fourth person shared, “Congratulations.. My Son just had his 7 years on July 27, 2026.. I’m proud of You Both.” Fans also wished him on his ‘sober birthday’, with one person posting, “One of the best performers of all time. I love your music. Happy sober birthday!”, while another person shared, “Still standing! Better than you ever did!! Happy Birthday Sir!”
About Elton John
Every year, the singer has celebrated being sober, and has shared glimpses of his journey through everything. For around 16 years, the pianist suffered from addiction to alcohol and other substances. In 2019, while talking to Variety, he had shared some background about his addiction and why he chose to give up everything. At the time he shared, “The life I was leading, flying on the Starship [his legendary private plane], living in beautiful houses, buying things left, right and center – it was not a normal life, not the sort of life I came from anyway. I lost complete touch with that. I vowed when I did change my life that that would never happen again.”Earlier this year, he launched his own 0.0% alcohol sparkling wine. The bottle features a royal blue label with his star logo on it. He and his partner, David Furnish, launched the business in January 2026.
