In David Frost Vs Elton John, the music icon opens up about heartbreak, fame, and the emotional depth behind some of his most powerful songs, ahead of the docuseries’ May 25 premiere on MSNBC.
Elton John Opens Up About Life, Love, and the Power of Sad Songs in New MSNBC Special
“Sad songs say so much,” Elton John famously sang in 1984 — and few artists have demonstrated that truth better than the legendary singer-songwriter himself. In a new installment of MSNBC’s David Frost Vs docuseries, premiering May 25, the music icon delves into the deeply personal stories behind some of his most emotional hits, his struggles with loneliness, and a moment that may have saved his life.
Part five of the six-part David Frost Vs series, titled David Frost Vs Elton John, chronicles the enduring friendship and numerous interviews between John and British journalist Sir David Frost. Their first conversation took place in 1975, kicking off a series of 10 interviews over several decades.
In one of the earliest interviews, a 27-year-old John — wearing a sharp Tommy Nutter suit — is asked by Frost:
“What’s the most emotional song you’ve ever done — the most meaningful, emotional song?”
John names two autobiographical tracks but singles out “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” as especially personal. The song, he explains, was inspired by a dark chapter in his life — a relationship that nearly ended his career and possibly his life.
“I was due to marry a woman who didn’t like my music and kept telling me I’d never make it,” John reveals. “We had the cake, the flat, the furniture — everything. Then one night, I went to a nightclub with Long John Baldry, and he told me, ‘You’re mad to marry her. She doesn’t appreciate your music.’ I ended it that night. And that more or less saved my life.”
Despite rising to global superstardom in the 1970s, John confesses that true companionship was elusive. In a poignant 1978 interview clip featured in the episode, he reflects on the isolation that fame can bring.
“I’ve got loads of close friends, fantastic friends,” he says. “And yet, I’ve got no one close to me…. I think about it sometimes in my 36-room house when I’m sitting there all alone. And it all seems so futile.”
Over time, John’s personal journey evolved. After briefly marrying German recording engineer Renate Blauel in the 1980s, he publicly came out as gay and later began a relationship with Canadian filmmaker David Furnish in 1993. The couple married in 2014 and are parents to sons Zachary, 14, and Elijah, 12.
Furnish, speaking to PEOPLE in 2024, reflected on their lasting partnership:
“We never go to bed on an argument. If there’s hostility in the air, we resolve it before we sleep. That’s all about respecting the relationship.”
Through heartbreak, healing, and half a century of music, Elton John’s emotional honesty remains at the core of his artistry — and David Frost Vs Elton John offers an intimate, often touching window into that journey.