Elton John expressed his joy in witnessing the love story come full circle. (Photo Credit: X)
In his latest documentary, Elton John: Never Too Late, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, Elton shared several personal anecdotes about his legendary career and close friendships.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s love story is one for the ages. The couple is still admired by millions worldwide, not just for their music but for the deep connection they shared. Yet, even this iconic pair went through rough patches. They were famously separated for several months in the 1970s, during which time it seemed uncertain whether they would find their way back to each other. Fortunately, it did happen and according to Elton John, he played a special role in their reunion. Recently, he opened up about it for the first time.
In his latest documentary, Elton John: Never Too Late, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6, Elton shared several personal anecdotes about his legendary career and close friendships. Among the most heartwarming of these stories is how he helped bring John Lennon and Yoko Ono back together after their months-long split, informs People.
When discussing how Lennon and Ono rekindled their relationship, Elton recalled a particular concert from 1974 that had a lasting impact on them both. The event was reportedly Elton’s now-historic Thanksgiving Day concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. At the time, Lennon and Ono had been separated for about 18 months, and the chances of them reconciling seemed slim. However, this concert turned out to be extraordinary.
“I was probably the catalyst of John and Yoko getting back together,” Elton said, revealing a new side of the story behind the famous concert. He explained that he had invited Lennon to join him on stage for the 1974 show, not realising that this invitation would also lead Lennon to an unexpected reunion with Ono.
According to InsideHook, Elton’s guitarist shared that John Lennon had no idea Yoko Ono would be attending the concert. It wasn’t planned, but fate seemed to step in. The moment brought them face to face after more than a year apart, and it set the wheels in motion for their eventual reconciliation.
Reflecting on this, Elton expressed his joy in witnessing their love story come full circle. “Of course, they did get back together, and they had Sean (Lennon),” Elton shared. He further explained that seeing his friends reconcile and then go on to have a son together was one of those magical moments that life brings.
In the documentary, Elton reportedly also talked about how the reconciliation impacted Lennon’s life. He said that John Lennon, after finding love again, seemed to mellow out and leave behind some of the “wildness” that had defined his earlier years. Elton noted that Lennon stopped using drugs and toned down much of the craziness in his life, though he jokingly added that he hadn’t quite done the same at the time.
It was in 1966 that Lennon and Ono first crossed paths in London, and they quickly became inseparable. The couple married three years later, in 1969, in Gibraltar. By 1973, their relationship had hit a rough patch and they decided to part ways. During this period, Yoko Ono focused on pursuing her own career, while Lennon ventured out on his own. After being apart for around 18 months, their paths crossed again in 1974, thanks in part to Elton’s concert. By the following year, 1975, the couple had fully reconciled and welcomed their son, Sean, in October.
The documentary, Elton John: Never Too Late, will debut on Disney+ on December 13.
