Sir Elton John has said that his most important legacy is not his music, but his role as a father and the family he has built with husband David Furnish. In a new interview with Out, the 79-year-old artist reflected on how he wants to be remembered, saying it would be enough for his children to be happy and to know that he gave everything he had to love and support them. While John acknowledged his long career, major honors, and support for emerging artists, he made clear that being a parent means more to him than any award or hit record.
John and Furnish also used Pride Month to announce the Elton John Impact Awards, a new initiative created with iHeartMedia and Procter & Gamble to honor LGBTQ+ figures who have made a visible difference. The first group of honorees includes Jonathan Bailey, Laverne Cox, Orville Peck, and Chappell Roan. John said the awards were inspired by the courage he has seen in people who continue to live openly despite harassment and discrimination. He said that bravery should be recognized and celebrated rather than taken for granted.
In the same conversation, John spoke strongly about the political pressure and hostility facing LGBTQ+ communities. He warned that rights are being rolled back, funding is being cut, and already vulnerable communities are becoming even more exposed. He urged queer people to stand together, remain visible, and keep speaking out instead of retreating into silence. According to John, the awards are also meant to send a message that the LGBTQ+ community is present, proud, and not going away.
Beyond his advocacy work, John also shared new details about his music. Although he has stopped touring, he has not stopped recording. Last month, while accepting the Glenn Gould Prize in Toronto, he revealed that he has finished another album. He said the project marks a major shift in his creative process after losing vision in his right eye affected the way he usually writes songs. John explained that he had always composed by looking at lyrics first, but his recent vision problems forced him to start with melodies instead and then add lyrics later.
He said the new method was unfamiliar to him, but it has opened up a different kind of songwriting. John described the album as especially joyful and said he was thrilled because it gave him another opportunity to make music. He had previously disclosed in 2024 that an infection acquired while spending the summer in France caused serious vision loss in his right eye, leaving him unable to read or watch anything at the time. Even with that setback, John’s latest work shows he remains creatively active while continuing to use his platform to support LGBTQ+ visibility and resilience.
