In January, Elton John was unable to attend the Emmy Awards because he’d undergone a knee-replacement operation. According to The U.S. Sun, the pop-rock legend was still healing from the surgery, which kept him from walking the red carpet at his Elton John AIDS Foundation’s annual Academy Awards Viewing Party this past Sunday, March 10.
During the event, John’s husband and manager, David Furnish, shared an update about his spouse’s health status with The Sun.
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“He’s doing amazing,” Furnish said. “He’s having another knee done in a couple of weeks and by the time the summer rolls around, he’ll have two brand new spanking knees.
He added, “I think you’ll see him breakdancing down the carpet next year.”
Furnish on John’s 2024 Plans
Furnish also discussed some of the projects John had lined this year, while noting that he’s been happy spending more time with his family since he finished his farewell tour in 2023.
“We are launching two stage musicals this year, a documentary on Disney+, opening a photo exhibition at the V&A [museum in London] in May,” he noted. “[S]o it’s still very busy.”
The musicals Furnish mentioned are The Devil Wears Prada and Tammy Faye. The Devil Wears Prada is scheduled to begin previews in July of their year in Plymouth, U.K., before opening in London’s West End in October. Tammy Faye is slated to open on Broadway during the 2024/2025 season.
Furnish also was asked whether John has considered putting together a stage musical that would feature some of his classic hits.
“A catalog musical? We’re always looking at it,” he responded. “I think if we wanted to do it, we would want to do it in a way that was really innovative and really exciting and different.”
In addition, Furnish said that although John has stopped touring, he thinks the musician is “going to take advantage of the opportunity to do little shows now and again.”
More About the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Oscar Viewing Party
John did perform at his Oscars viewing party, joining R&B/soul trio Gabriels to sing his 1979 tune “Are You Ready for Love.”
The 2024 viewing party raised a record $10.8 million for John’s AIDS Foundation.
“So far, this has been an extraordinary year beyond my wildest dreams, including the honor of achieving the EGOT,” John said at the bash, “but it’s tonight’s gathering that is the ultimate highlight.”
Neil Patrick Harris and Tiffany Haddish co-hosted the event with John and Furnish. Among the many celebrities who attended the event were Smokey Robinson, Toni Braxton, Avril Lavigne, Brandi Carlile, Danny DeVito, Rhea Pearlman, Donatella Versace, Alicia Silverstone, Sharon Stone, Tim Allen, Heidi Klum, Zooey Deschanel, Elizabeth Hurley, and Valerie Bertinelli.
Launched in 1992, John’s annual Oscars viewing party has raised more than $110 million for his AIDS Foundation.