London:

British singer Elton John told a theatre audience on Sunday that he had lost his sight, months after suffering a severe eye infection. One of the biggest-selling artists of all time, Mr John attended the launch of the “The Devil Wears Prada” musical in London’s West End but said he had been unable to watch the performance.

“I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews because, as you know, I have lost my eyesight,” the 77-year-old singer told the audience at a charity gala performance of the musical based on the best-selling novel for which he has written the score.

“So it’s hard for me to see it, but I love to hear it and, boy, it sounded good tonight,” he said.

The “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocket Man” star thanked his husband, David Furnish, saying he “has been my rock.”

The “Rocket Man” star posted on Instagram in September that an infection had “left me with only limited vision in one eye”.

Last month, he told ABC News in the US that the infection had left him unable to see out of his right eye and that his left was “not the greatest,” meaning he could no longer read or watch anything and putting his ability to record any new music in the future at risk.

“I am healing, but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye,” he added.

The music legend, whose piano-led rock songs and ballads such as “Candle in the Wind” have kept him in the spotlight since the 1970s, wound down a glittering live career with a global farewell tour in 2022 and 2023. He played his final show in his native UK at the Glastonbury Festival and his last-ever gig in Sweden and has since focused on his family.

In 1994, Mr John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for contributions to music and charity In 1998 gaining the title ‘Sir’.

While he is officially retired from touring, he wrote the music for the musical “The Devil Wears Prada”, which is based on the 2003 novel by Lauren Weisberger, which was also turned into a movie in 2006.