Elton John Spotted Walking With A Stick At 74, Weeks After Latest Health Scare

Nov 12, 2021

Sir Elton John has a career that most musicians aspire to for their whole lives. The singer was born on Mar. 25, 1947, in Middlesex, England. Elton John started making music in the 1960s, but it wasn't until 1969 that he released his debut album, 'Empty Sky.' In 1970, Elton John's first big hit, "Your Song," came from his second self-titled album. The album became a hit both in the U.K. and in the U.S. and kick-started the singer's golden years of commercial success: 1970 to 1976. Albums during this time period included 'Honky Château' (1972), 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' (1973), as well as his very first 'Greatest Hits' compilation album. However, music is not the only success for which Elton John is known. The singer has been very prominent in the fight against AIDS since the 1980s. His advocacy work has made him one of the main celebrities known to champion the cause and has earned him global recognition.

Now that the star is 74 years old, he's dealing with health issues that often come with aging. On Nov. 10, 2021, the star was seen supporting himself with a stick while walking due to his hip injury. John had fallen on a hard surface and damaged his hip, which required an operation. According to The Daily Mail, the injury has left the performer "unable to move sideways." He was seen receiving a prestigious honor from Prince Charles as recognition for his iconic musical career and dedication to fighting AIDS. John was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour by Prince Charles during the Windsor Castle ceremony on Wednesday. 

Read on to learn more about the hip injury and the health problems Elton John has been dealing with in the last years.

The sighting of Elton John with a walking stick comes after he had a health scare just a few months prior. On Sept. 16, Elton John announced on social media that he would be rescheduling his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour dates in Europe due to a hip injury. John's statement came after the artist postponed the U.S. tour, originally scheduled for 2020, to January 2022 after the world was thrust into the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in one of John's more recent announcements, he wrote that he will have a hip operation soon so as to honor the January 2022 U.S. tour, which will kick off in New Orleans, Louisiana.

John, who is 74, launched his farewell tour in the U.S. back in September 2018, though he promptly stopped the tour — which was planned for three years — in March 2020 in light of the global pandemic.

Despite the setback, John said that he will still be making an appearance at the Global Citizen charity festival on Sept. 25 at the Great Lawn Park in New York City, where he did take the stage for a short while and even performed five songs.

The Farewell Yellow Brick Road was said to be the award-winning musician's final tour, and his sets included some of John's most well-known tracks, including "Rocket Man" and "Your Song."

While fans on Twitter were frustrated by the delays — some said that they would have had their tickets for five years once shows in Europe and the U.K. were underway — many also sent their well wishes to the legendary British recording artist. John reassured his fans and went so far as to "promise" that "shows will return to the road."

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I am forced to rescheduled the 2021 dates of my Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in Europe and U.K. to 2023," John wrote in a statement on Twitter:

"At the end of my summer break I fell awkwardly on a hard surface and have been in considerable pain and discomfort in my hip ever since. Despite intensive physio and specialist treatment, the pain has continued to get worse and is leading to increasing difficulties moving. I have been advised to have an operation as soon as possible to get me back to full fitness and make sure there are no long-term complications. I will be undertaking a program of intensive physiotherapy that will ensure a full recovery and a return to full mobility without pain."

This wasn't John's first health-related tour postponement. 

John had to halt his tour in New Zealand back in February 2020 after he lost his voice during a performance at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland.

"I've just completely lost my voice. I can't sing," John told the audience. "I've got to go. I'm sorry."

The singer appeared to be in tears as he left the stage while fans cheered him on and chanted, "Elton! Elton!" Doctors had diagnosed John with walking pneumonia earlier that day, as he explained in a tweet.

Walking pneumonia is a less serious form of pneumonia that normally does not require medical attention, and the BBC reports that medics examined John partway through his set. In the end, he got through several songs but was not able to finish.

In his most recent statement regarding his upcoming hip operation, John promised that he "will make sure (the shows) are more than worth the wait."

What do you think about Elton John's latest recognition by Prince Charles? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this on to other Elton John fans you know!