Never-before-seen photos of Elton John in 1975 and 1976 as the star nears his 75th birthday

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Photographer David Nutter shares snaps of Elton John from the 1970s ahead of his 75th birthday – the star is currently on his final world tour – Farewell Yellow Brick Road

Rocket Man Sir Elton John is still looking better than ever as he approaches his 75th birthday on Friday.

For millions of his fans, all celebrations will be sad as Elton is on his final world tour. Farewell Yellow Brick Road is in America, reaching Europe and the UK this summer.

The legend, who has sold more than 300 million records and performed more than 4,000 concerts, wants to spend more time with her sons Zachary, 10, and Elijah, 8, and husband David Furnish, 59.

Here we’ve never seen candid footage from an Iconic Images archive of Elton in 1975 and 1976.

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It was a troubled time for the star, who was exhausted from touring and had attempted suicide. But his natural fun and charisma shine through.

Photographer David Nutter, now 82, said: “Elton found the tours exciting but tiring. He had four gold albums in two years but suffered from depression and was heavily dependent on cocaine.”

David photographed Elton lying on a dressing table in a bathrobe with chips up his nose, eating ice cream with the band in Blackpool, learning to scuba dive in a pool in Barbados and playing 10-pin bowling at the Playboy Mansion near Chicago played.

He also recorded Elton backstage with Michael Jackson and his brothers in Philadelphia in 1976, but said he seemed happier posing with his good friend Freddie Mercury and Queen.

“Elton could be difficult,” David admitted.

“Events were being arranged for him and he suddenly decided he didn’t want to do them. If we were in a restaurant or club and someone said something Elton didn’t like, he would storm out. group

“Elton joked about his overdose and tried to play it down as a bit of fun, a laugh, when in reality it must have been scary.”

In 2019, the star said he attempted suicide by overdosing two days before his performance at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles.

David said: “Elton could party hard between shows sometimes, sometimes he would hide and rest. He went through a lot of things, not all of it well.

At one point, Elton said, “Cancel Christmas!” He wasn’t in the best of moods.

“But after a few weeks in Barbados he felt a lot better and he got really clean. There were no drugs. We just drank.”

“Elton did skydiving and skydiving there and learned to scuba dive in the pool.

“Kiki Dee and Bernie Taupin and Elton’s band flew in and he started writing music – it was magical. There he wrote most of his next album. It brought him back to life.”

As Elton recovered from his suicide attempt, he struggled with his sexuality. During his 1976 tour, Elton made his first public appearance and said, “I think everyone is bisexual to some degree. I don’t think it’s just me.”

David recalls, “We all knew Elton was gay and it wasn’t a big deal. But coming out in public was a big deal.”

Elton’s record sales declined thereafter and he never gave up live performances for several years.

It wasn’t until later in life that Elton, who had diabetes, focused on his health, working with a trainer and nutritionist, playing tennis and doing aqua aerobics in his pool.

Last year he said: “I’m probably the fittest I’ve been in a long time.

“I’m grateful to be alive after everything I’ve put into my body. How wonderful it is to be alive and to look back on this journey.”