“Elton is the most loving, generous man you could imagine and he has helped so many people over the years.”
On an upcoming episode of The Jonathan Ross Show, pop star Robbie Williams revealed how his friend Sir Elton John helped him get sober 19 years ago.
“He really tried to help. In the early days when I was first getting sober, there was a week until I had to go to Rehab and I had two vocals to do on my first album, one of them was ‘Angels’ and one of them was ‘Let Me Entertain You,’ Williams explained, according to the Times Herald.
He continues, “I was going to do these vocals then go to rehab. Elton invited me to his house to listen to the work that I’d done so far.”
Drinking Game Gone Awry
On the morning of his visit to John’s house, Williams decided to play a “game” where he visited every pub he passed and drank a half-pint of beer.
“I’d had ten half pints before I’d got to the studio. I ended up under the mixing desk, had a bit of red wine and then I knew I had to get to Elton’s for three o’clock.”
He was wasted by the time he arrived at the “Rocketman” singer’s house. When Elton saw the state of Williams he jumped into action, trying to arrange help for his friend.
Williams says he explained that he was set to go to rehab the following week but Elton wasn’t having it and demanded that the singer go to rehab immediately.
Robbie resisted, until he couldn’t.
Sobering Up In Elton’s Kitchen
“It was a big moment being in Elton John’s kitchen sobering up over some carrots thinking ‘How am I going to get myself out of this mess?” Williams recalled.
John then took Williams to his house in Windsor while he and his husband David Furnish figured out to how to get Williams help as soon as possible.
“I wake up but I haven’t opened my eyes and there’s a knock on my shoulder and I look and there’s Elton and David Furnish and a doctor and a psychiatrist and they are here to take me away.”
Now, Williams is grateful for everything that his 19 years of sobriety has afforded him.
“It’s nice when you realize how far you’ve come and who you are now as opposed to the person you were and all those thoughts and fears about losing yourself and becoming a non person are really untrue. It was just a beautiful moment,” Williams said.
