Superstar Elton John reveals the heartfelt message he wants written on his gravestone

In a rare moment of vulnerability, Elton John, who turned 78 this week, shared the deeply moving message he hopes will grace his tombstone.

During a one-off show at the London Palladium, Sir Elton spoke about how he wants to be remembered. Instead of focusing on his stellar singing career, he expressed a desire to be remembered as a good father.

”On my tombstone, I want nothing to do with Crocodile f***ing Rock. I just want it to say: “He was a great dad”,” he told the audience.

Sir Elton has been reflecting on his mortality more of late. Recently the I’m Still Standing singer was recording a new song, When This Old World Is Done with Me, when the thought of leaving behind his two sons, Zachary Jackson, 14, and Elijah Joseph, 12, and his husband David Furnish, 62, came to mind, and he began to weep.

“I wrote a song at the end of the album and I just get the lyrics, Bernie Taupin’s lyrics called When This Old World Is Done With Me,” he told the Smartless podcast.

“And so I’m writing the verse, like, ‘Oh, this is really pretty’. And then I get to the chorus and of course it’s about my death.

“When you get to my age, which is near 100, you think, ‘How much time have I got left?’

“And you’ve got children, you’ve got a wonderful husband, you just think about mortality.

“So, when I got to the chorus, I just broke down for 45 minutes and it’s all on film.”

In addition to reflecting on his own mortality, the Tiny Dancer singer has talked openly about his recent vision problems, sharing that while there have been some “miserable” days, he remains “optimistic” about his recovery.

He revealed in an Instagram post in September 2024 that his vision had been affected in his right eye after contracting an infection.

“Over the summer, I’ve been dealing with a severe eye infection that has unfortunately left me with only limited vision in one eye,” he explained at the time.

“I am healing but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye.’

“I am so grateful for the excellent team of doctors and nurses and my family, who have taken such good care of me over the last several weeks.”

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Sir Elton gave further insight into how he’s coping with his vision challenges while maintaining an upbeat attitude.

“I’m an optimist permanently,” he told the publication.

“I’ve got bad eyesight at the moment. There have been days where I’ve been miserable, but then I think about how lucky I am. I’ve got a new respect for sight-impaired people and people who are totally blind, some of whom I’m in touch with.

“But to hell with it, I’ve got a great life, and hopefully my sight will improve.”

-with BANG.