Elton John reveals surprising things he wants on his tombstone

Elton John knows how he will best be remembered after he dies.

As he was honored as TIMEIcon of the yearthe singer, 77, reflected on fatherhood and how his role as a father is his most important.

“On my tombstone, all I want is for it to say, ‘He was a great father,'” John shared, speaking alongside her husband, David Furnish.

The “Rocketman” musician and Furnish, 62 — who have been together for more than three decades — share two children together: sons Zachary, 13, and Elijah, 11.

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John shared a similar sentiment when speaking to Good morning America‘s Robin Roberts in a interview that aired on December 11.

“My music speaks for itself,” he said. “My legacy is that I was a great husband and an even better father… The music, the career is great. It’s been great, groundbreaking. But the most important thing for me in my life is to make sure my kids are happy , they have a wonderful life and that I was good to them, that’s all that matters.

The family joined John on stage for his final performance at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium in 2022, a move that was deliberate on the singer’s part.

“Elton wanted the world to really see and feel why he made the decision to stop touring,” Furnish shared GMA.

In November, while performing at Radio Andy to promote Tammy Faye on Broadway, John talked about becoming a father later in life, which he called “the biggest thing I’ve ever done.”

“For me personally, I’ve had an amazing life, an amazing career, incredible achievements, music, blah, blah, blah, but I would say that our sons and David are the most important things to me,” the British artist. said.

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However, John is aware that he is at a more advanced age than most parents with young children. IN Elton John: Never too latethe new documentary based on his life, the music icon detailed that his two children express fear of his death.

“They think about my mortality. They care about my mortality,” John said in the film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) earlier this year.

In their joint interview with TIMEFurnish also talked about why he and John chose not to homeschool their two sons.

“We have deliberately not homeschooled our children because we want them to be their own people and define life the way they want to be defined,” he explained.