Sir Elton John, 77, takes swipe at Elon Musk as he makes rare appearance

Sir has made a rare public appearance and made a dig at Elon Musk.

The legendary musician, 77, has spoken out about his health in recent years after he was previously seen with a shoe balancer on while struggling to walk. The rocker appeared on stage at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar in London on Wednesday night. Elton was presented with the The Legacy Award, supported by Virgin Atlantic, by his pal . This is the second time the award has been handed out. It was previously picked up by back in 2017, to mark the occasion of 20 years since his mother, Diana, died. But after his brief appearance on stage, Elton used a chair to aid him while posing for pictures with his gong.

Accepting the gong, Elton said: "I'm very humbled by this award, it means a lot as a gay man," he went on to thank those in the audience at Camden's Roundhouse before saying it had been a "long journey" for him. "With lots of ups and downs," he commented. Reflecting on his six-decade long career, he said: "I'm married to my work, I love music. Music saved me when I was happy, it saved me when I was miserable."

He joked that he "loved" reading Attitude magazine due to the nudity on display in the magazine. "The Elton John Foundation was the real, real focus point of my life," he said. Sir Elton said it gave him "so much joy and so much pleasure" to help others. He added that he and his husband, David Furnish, who is the CEO of the foundation have raised $600 million for the cause. Elton went on to say: "I'm still happy to be a gay man, I love my husband, I love my children." Collecting his award, he joked: "Is this the award?" before joking it looked like an "a***hole." Elton took a swipe at Elon Musk laughing: "But lets not talk about Elon Musk tonight," as he walked off stage.

Speaking before Sir Elton appeared on stage, Sheeran said: "Wherever the great are gathered, from Park Lane to Hollywood Boulevard, there are awards to be found for icons, legends or lifetime achievement. All of them are worthy, many extraordinary. Attitude's Legacy Award supported by Virgin Atlantic, presented tonight for only the second time in 13 years hits harder. It honours not only a body of work, however impressive, not simply a career blessed with longevity however stellar, not even a life devoted to a cause however worthy.

"A legacy endures its some total of every day lived, by accident or by design as an example of the best any one of us can be. Unashamed and unapologetic, our winners legacy may well take in three hundred million record sales over six decades, a tour schedule akin to perpetual motion for 53 years and a breathtaking 600 million to help the fight towards HIV and AIDS. But just as importantly, for Attitude and the entire LGBTQ+ community, his extraordinary life lived in the public gaze and all that it entails has shown every one of us, who you love doesn't matter. What matters is that you find love, love that you deserve. Love is always the answer and heaven knows, I love this man."

Elton's outing comes following a string of health concerns after he was previously seen struggling to walk. He was also seen using crutches when he attended the funeral of Kate Garraway's husband, in February this year. Just this month, Sir Elton joked there wasn't "much of him left" in a candid admission. Attending the premiere of his new documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, he said he had "no tonsils, adenoids or an appendix." He added: "I don't have a right hip or a left knee or a right knee. In fact, the only thing left to me is my left hip. But I'm still here."

He also recently revealed that he is partially blind after suffering from a severe infection. In a candid health admission, he told fans on social media: "Over the summer, I've been dealing with a severe eye infection that has unfortunately left me with only limited vision in one eye. I am healing but it's an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye." Elton continued: "I am grateful for the excellent team of doctors and nurses and my family, who have taken such good care of me over the last several weeks. I have been quietly spending the summer recuperating at home, and am feeling positive about the progress I have made in my healing and recovery thus far." He signed off: "With love and gratitude, Elton John."

Just last year, he was taken to hospital after suffering a fall at his villa in Nice, France. Prior to that in 2021 he underwent a hip surgery that saw him forced to reschedule several dates on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. Shortly after the procedure he attended an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle to mark his appointment as a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour by then-Prince Charles. Speaking at the ceremony as he walked with the aid of a stick he said: "I may not look as if I’m 100% fit - I'm not quite - but I'm still raring to go and I’ve got a lot more work to do as far as my life goes."

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