There are anniversaries that Elton John (79) doesn't leave to chance. On Wednesday, the British musician posted on Instagram, sharing that he hasn't had a drink in 36 years. "36 years sober today. I raise a 0 percent glass to life. Grateful for every single day", he wrote alongside a photo. In it, he sits smiling at an outdoor restaurant, the sun is shining, and he's holding a glass of sparkling wine in his hand. The bottle next to him is being chilled in an ice bucket.
The singer also posted the same photo to his Instagram Stories, though with music. He chose his 1983 song "I'm Still Standing".
The sparkling wine comes from his own house
What's bubbling in the glass bears his name. Elton John Zero Blanc de Blancs is the name of the sparkling wine with 0.0 percent alcohol that the musician launched in January 2026 together with his husband David Furnish. The royal blue bottle is adorned with the "E" with his signature star.
"Elton John Zero was born from a simple yet exquisite idea: to create a world where every moment of celebration can be shared by everyone", the father of two explained in a statement on his official website. His alcohol-free Blanc de Blancs captures the elegance, the sparkle and the joy of a classic Blanc de Blancs, "without compromise". For him, it's about the "art of inclusion", so that everyone can raise a toast.
He called cocaine his "worst best friend"
How deep John was once mired in addiction has long been public knowledge. The 2019 biopic "Rocketman" starring Taron Egerton traced those years when alcohol, marijuana and especially cocaine controlled his life. He once described the substance as his "worst best friend".
In May 2019, the Grammy winner spoke candidly to "Variety" about that period. "The life I led, flying in the Starship, living in beautiful houses, buying things left and right, that wasn't a normal life, at least not the kind of life I came from", he told the trade publication, referring to his legendary private jet. "I had completely lost touch with that. When I changed my life, I swore that would never happen again."
What his body went through during that time, he described in the same interview. "There were times when I had chest pains or was awake for three days straight", John said. "I had cramps and was found lying on the floor, then they'd bring me back to bed, and half an hour later I'd do the same thing again. That's crazy."
An anniversary he publicly observes every year
The musician regularly shares the anniversary of his sobriety with his followers. When he was able to look back on 35 years in July 2025, he thanked his fans on Instagram: "Grateful for all the love on my sobriety birthday."
