Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Elton John said work on his new album has been delayed due to an eye infection he’s been battling since July that has left him unable to see out of his right eye.
John, 77, shared the health update during an interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, who asked about the legendary artist’s newest album.
“I don’t know. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything and I just have to get off my backside. I unfortunately lost my eyesight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the south of France and it’s been four months now since I haven’t been able to see,” John said. “And my left eye is not the greatest.
“It kind of floored me. I can’t see anything, I can’t read anything, I can’t watch anything,” he added.
John first teased his new album during a speech at the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony in Brooklyn, New York, saying it was going to “surprise the (expletive) out of you.” The album features songs co-written by John’s friend and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, who was inducted by John into the Rock Hall Class of 2023.
John, who first shared the news of his partial blindness in September, told Roberts “there’s hope and there’s encouragement that it will be OK, but I’m kind of stuck at the moment.”
“I can do something like this (interview), but going into the studio and recording, I don’t know because I can’t see a lyric for start,” he said.
“We’re taking an initiative to try and get it better. But at the moment, that’s really what we’re concentrating on. It’s never fortunate for anything like this to happen.”
Despite his health battles, John said he was “proud of my attitude towards myself for what’s going on.”
“I’m just very lucky and I’m very grateful,” he said.