Elton John: 'I'm more excited about music than ever'

A hip operation has forced John to postpone several dates from his long-running farewell tour

Elton John might be 74 and struggling with a dodgy hip, but his musical taste remains far cooler than most guys half his age. 

While most ageing rockstars are happy to rehash the sounds of their glory days, Sir Elton is more likely to be found in a studio with the likes of Young Thug, Nicki Minaj and Lil Nas X. 

"If you're my age and still learning from other musicians, that's the greatest gift of all," said John.

"If you shut your mind off and say you can't learn anything more... that's the dead end," he said. 

- 'A thrill' -

That approach is why the Rocketman has achieved the unparalleled feat of at least one single in the British top 10 in each of the last six decades -- 33 in total.  

It's an attitude that also means he doesn't want any deference from his young collaborators, despite them knowing they are working with a guy who has sold more than 300 million albums. 

"I think he was frightened to insult me. But I wanted to be insulted! And he got there in the end. He didn't insult me at all - he made the record that I wanted to make with him." 

In some ways it marks a return to his roots.

The Lil Nas X track, he said, was recorded in the same Abbey Road studio where he played backing piano for The Holly's 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' 54 years earlier. 

Having never lost his love of record stores, keeping his finger on the pulse comes naturally. 

"She's 16!" he said of Morgen. "When I was 16 I was still picking my nose."

He has also used his radio show "Rocket Hour" on Apple Music to feed his habit. 

"It's important to me to offer friendship and authenticity," he said, recalling how musicians like The Beach Boys and The Band reached out and encouraged him when he first went to the United States in the 1970s.

"Something with Billie Eilish one day," he said. "But not yet, because she's still forging her own path."

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