The sun isn’t going down on Elton John‘s remarkable journey.
“36 years sober today,” the singer, 79, captioned a celebratory photo shared via Instagram on Wednesday, July 29, in honor of his milestone. “Raising a 0% glass to life. Grateful for every single day.”
Wearing a vivid patterned dress shirt and gold cross necklace, John was all smiles in his signature oversized square-framed glasses while seated at an outdoor restaurant and raising a glass of his sparkling Elton John Zero Blanc de Blancs.
The premium nonalcoholic beverage is described as having a “bold” taste that “brings style and joy with every sip,” via its website, which notes, “All the celebration, none of the compromise.”
In his new photo, John had the blue bottle placed alongside him in an ice bucket for display. He later shared the same image via Instagram Stories with his 1983 hit single “I’m Still Standing” playing.
John and his husband, David Furnish, announced his new venture in January.
“What drew us to this product is the fact that it’s the first one of its kind and that it’s made differently,” Furnish — who shares kids Zachary, 15, and Elijah, 13, with the chart-topping performer — shared at the time.
Furnish, 63, said the process and flavor are unmatched, adding, “All the nonalcoholic drinks we’ve all tried and haven’t really enjoyed very much are made with alcohol and then dealcoholized, whereas with this product, the grapes are fermented with good cultures and that creates all of the qualities and properties and personality of a beautiful Blanc de Blancs, without creating alcohol.”
John previously opened up about his struggles with addiction in his 2019 memoir, Me, detailing his dependencies on cocaine and alcohol at the height of his fame.
The “Rocket Man” crooner said that he used both vices to “block out” his personal struggles.
“You block it out until the problem of the thing you’re facing becomes such a monumental thing that you explode with rage, and that’s the way I handled confrontation,” he told NPR in an interview that October. “I hated my addiction. I hated the way I behaved. I hated how I treated people. I hated what I’d become.”
There was a silver lining, however, as John embarked on his sobriety journey and found a new lease on life.
He explained, “I’m grateful that I had it because then I learned how to become who I am now, and I’m proud of who I am now.”
