Sir Elton John has marked 35 years since he conquered his addiction issues by celebrating his "sobriety birthday"

In a post on Instagram, he wrote: "Grateful for all the love on my sobriety birthday."

Elton's image showed cards celebrating his "35th birthday" along with vases of flowers and what appeared to be hand drawn pictures from his two sons.

The Rocket Man musician took a year off work back in the 1990s to focus on his recovery and he worried he wouldn't be the same artist after getting sober.

Speaking to Variety, Elton explained: "After I finally surrendered and decided to seek treatment for my addiction, there came a point when I wondered if I would ever go back to work as Elton John again.

"But at that time, I wasn't thinking too much about being an artist. I had reached the lowest ebb in my life - the absolute bottom. I hated myself so much. I was consumed with shame. All I wanted to do was get well. I put all of the energy I had left toward my recovery.

"When the day arrived [when I got back onstage], I was terrified, but I did manage to get through the performance.

"It was the only time I stepped on a stage that year, and I had to do it on my own without the band. In retrospect, I'm glad I went straight in at the deep end ... That show gave me confidence to know that I could still perform sober."

Elton has maintained his sobriety with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings and last year he shared a picture of the AA coin he received to celebrate his 34th year of sobriety.

In a post on Instagram in 2024, he wrote: "34 years clean and sober. My life has never been better."