Elton John continues to thrive despite past challenges, including prostate cancer, and he is set to receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at the tribute concert in DAR Constitution Hall this April. John and Bernie Taupin will also be accorded the same honor alongside Elton, who has earned the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony status (EGOT) to his name.
The multiple award-winning icon was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017 and underwent a successful surgery, which kept him in the hospital for another eleven days. Since then, Elton has taken a step back from his career to focus on his family. “I was ill because I kept saying, ‘Please let me get well. I want to see my kids,’” he revealed in his autobiography, Me.
Elton John’s battle with prostate cancer
. 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party following the 91st Academy Awards held at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Photo Credit: Birdie Thompson/AdMedia
Prostate cancer is the most common type in men, especially those in their forties and between the ages of 55-69, per The United States Preventive Services Task Force. However, Elton was nearing his 70s when he discovered he had prostate cancer that required urgent attention. “I didn’t really know how close to death I was,” he revealed in his memoir. “I had tubes coming out of every part of my body, and it took me seven weeks to recover from that when I went home.”
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He suffered more complications, including a “harmful and unusual bacterial infection” and incontinence, forcing him to hold back from performing to recover fully. “The time I spent recuperating was the answer to my prayers. It was like being shown a different life, a life I realized I loved more than being on the road,” Elton, who had missed his kids, said at the time.
A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine said that men who partook in cardiorespiratory fitness activities like running, swimming, and cycling are 35% less likely to get prostate cancer. Other forms of such exercise include jumping rope, tennis, and brisk walking, which Elton tries to adopt.
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The “That’s What Friends Are For” singer revealed that he took physical activity more seriously during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020. “I get up, have breakfast, and go for a walk in the pool. At my age, that is the best thing I can do,” he shared. “I walk sideways and do about six miles a week.” Such workouts help improve the heart and lungs’ capacity to supply oxygen to the muscles, thereby enhancing overall health.