Elton John: family as an antidote to excess
Being able to capture Sir’s 50 year career Elton John it is a challenging task. Nevertheless “Elton John: Never Too Late“, the musical documentary that celebrates the 50-year career of the English artist, made by her husband David Furnish and director RJ Cutler, does it very well.
The film offers an in-depth look at his life, his music, his relationships, including his friendship with John Lennon, and his personal struggles, such as those with addiction. Also includes historic performances at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 1975 and 2022.
For fans, and even for John himself, the film contains many surprises. “I was struck by how good the music was in those first five years, because I very rarely listened to what I did. I’m very proud of it,” John told the American agency Associate Press. “It also reminded me of the incredible struggle I had with success, even sudden success. I turned to alcohol, drugs and then redeemed myself by getting sober.”
Success and satisfaction don’t always go hand in hand. In his younger years John had fame but wanted connection. Years later, being able to have a family changed him and also gave him other priorities.
“The best things in my life are my two children and David (husband). And music is secondary to them,” she says. “The title ‘Never Too Late’ sums it up for everyone, not just me. You can change things. It’s never too late to change something. Thank God I did. Because when I detox, my life has changed completely.” He has now been sober for 34 years.
“It was glorious compared to what it was for about 10, 15 years,” he says very frankly of his old drug and alcohol addictions, which he lived with for quite some time. “I kept playing and touring while I I did drugs. I never stopped. Because music kept me alive. Music kept me alive. It almost killed me, but it saved me.”
For him “Never Too Late” is not only a celebration of that journey, but also an effective “advocacy piece”, a kind of advocacy towards family life. “You can have kids, you can be gay and you can have a happy family. I couldn’t be happier.”
“Never Too Late” is also the title of the theme song written by Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt, John and its historic lyricist Bernie Taupin, currently competing for the 2025 Oscars.
American singer-songwriter and record producer Brandi Carlile was the catalyst for that song: She visited John and Furnish at their home in France, saw a draft of the documentary and felt moved to write a song.
“This song was about my life and I found it very easy to write,” said the English musician about the collaboration: “I’ve been through hell,” says John. “And I still came out fighting. So it’s very true to who I am.”
After his farewell tour, Elton John’s desire for music has not yet subsided and this “Never Too Late” is part of a “new era”, as he explains. Fans can expect new music in the future. “Sooner or later there will be a new album,” he said. “I’m dying to record new things.”
When asked by journalists what he hopes his legacy will become over time, he goes beyond his musical “life” by replying, “I just want my tombstone to say, ‘He was a great dad.’ That’s what I want. The musical legacy will speak for itself.” But from a human point of view, ‘He was a great dad and a great husband.'”
Last month John revealed he had lost his sight after contracting an infection. “The vision is a problem. But we are studying a treatment. I am a great optimist. I have basically lost the sight in my right eye for the moment. My left eye is not the best,” he says adding “Since this happened, I felt such empathy for visually impaired people and blind people…When you see so many other people who can’t see at all, I’m really lucky.”
John’s positivity can be felt throughout “Never Too Late”. He is not interested in looking back; Just as his record-breaking achievements are celebrated in the film, so too are contemporary moments that highlight his enthusiasm for family and young talent.
“For me it’s about what will happen in the future, not what happened in the past,” he says. “With this documentary we have left a certain period behind us. And now it’s time to start again.”
“Elton John: Never Too Late” is available for streaming on Disney+ along with footage from the last concerts (17, 19 and 20 November 2022) that Sir Elton John held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles
