‘It was a lifesaver’: Elton John credits Zoom for helping him stay connected with his Alcoholics Anonymous meetings when he appears on Meghan and Harry’s first podcast
Sir Elton John attributed it to Zoom for preserving his sobriety, allowing him to remain connected with the Brotherhood of Alcoholics Anonymous during his confinement.
The legendary musician entered his 30th year of abstinence in 2020 after abandoning alcohol and illegal substances in 1990, after decades of continuous abuse.
Now 73 and the father of sons Elijah and Zachary with husband David Furnish, Sir Elton says the Zoom video conferencing software helped keep him engaged with the AA community while secluding himself at home with his family.
High praise: Sir Elton John attributed it to Zoom for preserving his sobriety, allowing him to remain connected with the Brotherhood of Alcoholics Anonymous during his confinement
Speaking to Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle on the first Archewell Audio podcast on Tuesday, the pianist insisted he didn’t know what he would have done had it not been for the increasingly popular technology.
He said, ‘I am a recovering alcoholic, so I have an AA meeting in this house every Sunday. I connect with friends I’ve known on the show for over 30 years, and that’s great.
‘If it weren’t for Zoom, I don’t know what we would have done, I really don’t know. Without Zoom … it was a lifesaver. ‘
Opening: Sir Elton reflected on sobriety while speaking with Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle on the first Archewell Audio podcast on Tuesday
Sir Elton has been very open about his battle with alcohol and cocaine addiction, a habit that almost hampered his career and cost him his life.
Reflecting on his wild past during a 2019 interview with Variety, he said: ‘The life I was leading, flying in the spaceship, living in beautiful houses, buying things left, right and in the center – was not a normal life.
‘I used to have spasms and be found on the floor and they put me back on the bed and half an hour later I would be doing the same. It’s crazy.
Old times: Sir Elton was very open about his battle with alcohol and cocaine addiction, a habit that almost hindered his career and cost him his life
‘I am a Survivor. I have survived many things. Life is full of pitfalls, even when you are sober. I can deal with them now because I don’t have to run and hide. ‘
Elton previously opened up about his cocaine addiction in his memoirs, published in a series in the Daily Mail in October.
The star wrote: ‘I started using cocaine in 1974. I liked how it made me feel. That wave of confidence and euphoria, the feeling that I could suddenly open up, that I didn’t feel shy or intimidated, that I could talk to anyone.
– That was all bullshit, of course. I was full of energy, I was curious, I had a sense of humor and a thirst for knowledge: I didn’t need a drug to make me talk to people.
He continued: ‘My appetite for things was unbelievable – enough to attract comments in the circles I was entering.
Thankful: ‘If it weren’t for Zoom, I don’t know what we would have done, I really don’t know’, he said of his attachment to the videoconference service during the blockade
“Since I was a rock star spending a lot of time in the 1970s in LA, that was a not inconsiderable feat.
‘Again, you may think that it would have given me a break to think, but I fear that the next 16 years were full of incidents that would have made any rational human being pause about their drug use.
‘That was the problem. Because he was consuming coca, he was no longer a rational human being. You become irrational and irresponsible, obsessed with yourself, a law for yourself.
“It’s your way or the highway. It’s a horrible drug. ‘
Anyone affected by this article can contact the Alcoholics Anonymous national helpline at 0800 9177 650.