Elton John just dropped a bombshell about his health struggles while working on his highly secretive collaboration album with Grammy winner Brandi Carlile—and fans are stunned. In a raw new interview, the music legend admitted he was “not in great shape” during the recording sessions, confessing, “I was exhausted, but Brandi carried me through.”
The 76-year-old icon, who wrapped his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour last year, revealed the physical toll of recent health battles, including a 2021 hip surgery, left him drained. “Making this album was a fight,” he shared. “There were days I could barely stand, but Brandi’s energy… she’s a force. She refused to let me quit.”
Carlile, who famously teamed up with Elton for his 2021 Lockdown Sessions hit “Simple Things,” called the project “the most emotional experience of my career.” She said, “Elton’s voice? Timeless. But seeing him push through pain, it humbled all of us. This album is his heart on a plate.”
Insiders say the still-untitled record blends Elton’s classic piano-rock with Carlile’s Americana soul, featuring stripped-down reworks of deep cuts and at least two explosive new tracks. But Elton’s health scares nearly derailed it: “We’d take breaks so he could rest his voice,” a source spilled. “But when the music started, magic happened.”
The Rocket Man’s honesty has fans rallying online, with one tweeting, “Elton’s a warrior,” while others speculate whether this could be his final album. Elton, however, stays defiant: “Retirement? No way. I’ll croak onstage if I have to.”
Carlile added, “This isn’t a goodbye—it’s a rebirth. Wait till you hear what we’ve made.”
The album drops this fall. Stay tuned.