Elton John admits being ‘frightened’ of his mum’s ‘mean streak’ as he reveals she never wanted to know her grandchildren
ELTON John has admitted being “frightened” of his mum’s “mean streak” as he reveals she never wanted to know her grandchildren. The singer didn’t speak to his mum Sheila Dwight for seven years after a nasty fight over his wedding to David Furnish. In an extract from his new autobiography, which has been serialised in […]
ELTON John has admitted being “frightened” of his mum’s “mean streak” as he reveals she never wanted to know her grandchildren.
The singer didn’t speak to his mum Sheila Dwight for seven years after a nasty fight over his wedding to David Furnish.
In an extract from his new autobiography, which has been serialised in the Daily Mail, Elton said: “She never was one of life’s tactile, nurturing mothers, and there was a mean streak to her that went beyond just being prone to bad moods, something I didn’t like to think about too deeply because it frightened me.”
He added: “I’d inherited some of her capacity to sulk myself. The difference was that I snapped out of it quickly: I’d realise what I was doing — ‘S**t, I’m not just behaving like an idiot, I’m behaving like my mother’ — and rush around issuing desperate apologies to everyone concerned.
“Mum never snapped out of it, never seemed contrite, never appeared to think she was behaving badly. The best you could hope for was a terrible argument — in which she had to have the last word — followed by a shaky truce that lasted until she went off again.”
The mother and son had an almighty row after Elton sacked his PA Bob Halley, who she was close friends with.
It led her to accuse Elton of caring more about his husband David than her.
Both sides refused to back down over the fight for seven years – with Sheila even missing their wedding day in 2014.
He accused her of setting out to spoil his civil ceremony to David years before by acting like a “raving sociopath”.
The 72-year-old music icon said she spoke loudly during the vows, snubbed the private lunch and was so rude to guests at the party that Sharon Osbourne said she wanted to kill her.
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Elton got back in touch with her after finding out she was seriously ill.
He shared photos of his kids and asked her to meet her grandchildren, but Sheila had no interest.
She passed away, aged 92, in December 2017 just a week after spending time with Elton at home.
The star’s official autobiography, called Me: Elton John, is published on October 15.
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