Elton John has opened up about how he hopes to be remembered and the words he wants on his gravestone.
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The legendary entertainer, 77, might be best known as a singer and musician, but the star revealed he doesn’t want that to be the defining factor people remember him by.
Elton opened up about what he wants his enduring legacy to be as he was honored as TIME’s Icon Of The Year recently.
He told the publication: “On my gravestone, all I want it to say is, ‘He was a great dad.'”
The Rocketman star is married to David Furnish, 62, and the pair have been together over three decades and share two sons – Zachary, 13, and Elijah, 11.
It’s not the first time Elton has spoken out about the importance he places on his role as a father above all else in his life.
He previously told Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts in a December 11 interview: “My music speaks for itself. My legacy is that I was a great husband and an even better father…
“The music, the career is fantastic. It’s been mind-blowing, groundbreaking. But the most important thing to me in my life is making sure my children are happy, they have a wonderful life and that I was good to them. That’s all that counts.”
Elton was also joined by his family on stage at his final performance at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium in 2022, which was a symbolic decision on the musician’s part.
David explained to GMA: “Elton wanted the world to really see and feel why he made the decision to stop touring.”
In November, Elton gushed about becoming a father later on in life, explaining on Radio Andy: “[It’s] the greatest thing I’ve ever done.
“For me personally, I’ve had an amazing life, great career, incredible achievements, music, blah, blah, blah, but I would say that our sons, and David, are the most important things to me.”
Elton did, however, acknowledge that being an older father has its pitfalls, as his sons worry about losing him.
He said in his new documentary Elton John: Never Too Late: “They think about my mortality. They worry about my mortality.”
Despite their dad being one of the biggest stars of all time, Zachary and Elijah live a surprisingly normal life, including going to a mainstream school rather than being homeschooled, as many superstars choose for their kids.
Speaking in their joint interview with TIME, David explained: “We deliberately didn’t homeschool our children because we want them to be their own people and to define life as they want to be defined.”
What a wonderful little family.
