Elton John is known for a great many things, but his willingness to help others is probably one of his best qualities. As seen at the end of Rocketman, once Elton John himself got clean after abusing drugs and alcohol, he dedicated his time and money to helping those whose struggles he understands.
Whether it’s donating his money to researching the cure for HIV/AIDs or giving back to the Royal Academy of Music, it seems that Elton John dedicated a lot of his time and resources into help those who couldn’t help themselves. Case in point: Robert Downey Jr.
For those unaware, Elton John was the first to hire Robert Downey Jr. after he went to rehab for his drug addiction back in the early 2000s. The Iron Man star was virtually uninsurable and no one wanted to take a risk on him, but Elton John brought him on to do his video, which was one continuous take as Robert Downey Jr. lip-synced along.
While not confirmed, many have reported that Elton John (along with many others) vouched for RDJ, even with his history of addiction. When the song was released back in 2001, sources connected Downey‘s involvement back to John’s own problems with drugs: “Like Downey, John himself has struggled with drug addiction in the past, completing a treatment program in 1990.”
It’s also nice to know that Elton John has always been on Robert Downey Jr.’s side to the point where he, originally, wanted RDJ to play him in what would eventually become Rocketman.
From there, I ended up falling into a hole of researching Elton John and his work helping others, because it is truly an underrated part of the musician and to see how much he cares about others is astounding. John helped rapper Eminem with his own drug addiction problems, continues to donate to charities and organizations in whatever ways he can.
While Rocketman shows us the rise and fall of Elton John, it also brings to light his accomplishments after his own struggles with alcohol and drugs, and to see the kind of work that Elton John is putting in to make the world a better place is truly astonishing, especially because he has the means to help and strives to do so.
Maybe my obsession with all things Elton is on the rise since seeing Rocketman, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He’s an extremely interesting man and to see how he’s flipped his life around is truly inspirational, and maybe I want Elton John to adopt me? Just maybe?
(image: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
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