Elton John recalls "Herculean effort" of getting cocaine use noticed
Elton John has spoken about his drug-taking past while leading a watch party of his biopic Rocketman.
The pop icon hosted the event on Twitter yesterday (May 29) and shared several anecdotes and thoughts along the way. One included him commenting on the “Herculean effort” it took him to get noticed for cocaine use in ’70s LA when such debauchery was widespread.
“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,” John wrote next to a gif of an inebriated Taron Egerton, who portrayed him in the 2019 film.
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. #RocketmanWatchParty pic.twitter.com/cHpCZh4ngT
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) May 30, 2020
Elsewhere, John opened up about how emotional he got when he first saw the film. “I broke down the first time I saw this scene of me hugging Little Reggie. I’d spent most of my adult life running away from myself. It was time to re-embrace the real me,” he wrote.
Seeing this scene for the first time also set me off sobbing again. Bernie was one of the people who tried to tell me to stop doing drugs and I wouldn’t listen, but he stuck by me and never gave up on me. #RocketmanWatchParty pic.twitter.com/MV9LmcFngV
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) May 30, 2020
He also said he was also moved by a scene in the film where his longtime musical partner, Bernie Taupin, warned him about his excessive drug and drink problem. “Seeing this scene for the first time also set me off sobbing again,” John wrote alongside a contemporary picture of the pair.
“Bernie was one of the people who tried to tell me to stop doing drugs and I wouldn’t listen, but he stuck by me and never gave up on me.”
