Elton John says cocaine-fuelled bad behavior made people think he was always a diva: 'It's not who I am'
Elton John opened up about his drug addiction and confessed that trying cocaine was one of the worst decisions of his life.
John admitted that he started doing drugs in the 1970s but it wasn't until 1974 that he took cocaine. However, the singer believes that taking cocaine changed his life completely, and for the worse, as his behavior changed rapidly.
He added that he experienced "bad behavior and irrationality" because of his cocaine habit.
While speaking on the Awards Chatter podcast, he said, "I saw someone doing cocaine and didn't know what it was. They said it makes you feel good. So I thought I will have a go. I shouted at people. I wasn't proud of that behavior because it is not really who I am," reported by Daily Mail.
"It lead a lot of people to say I've always been a diva. I am not. Now I don't take drugs."
The singer has been open about his struggle with drug addiction and even spoke about it in his memoir. He wrote, "I had started taking cocaine in 1974. I liked how it made me feel. That jolt of confidence and euphoria, the sense that I could suddenly open up, that I didn't feel shy or intimidated, that I could talk to anybody."
"That was all bull***t, of course. I was full of energy, I was inquisitive, I had a sense of humor and a thirst for knowledge: I didn't need a drug to make me talk to people. My appetite for the stuff was unbelievable—enough to attract comments in the circles I was moving in. Given that I was a rock star spending a lot of time in '70s L.A., this was not an inconsiderable feat."
The singer added that the circumstances and the things he was surrounded with made it impossible for him to let go of drugs.
Fortunately, John was able to get back on track and get sober.
The singer has confessed that the period when he was taking drugs was the hardest in his life.