Singer Elton John was touched when he was honored for his work to help HIV/AIDS research, which has amounted to around $385 million in support funds.
The singer was awarded in Cambridge, Massachusetts with the title of 2017 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year.
That said, Elton John wasn’t going to let the night be all about him. His first thing to do was to honor the frontline workers who he says are “the bravest and most compassionate people I have ever met.”
John also shared his past with drug abuse that led to his need to help others.
“I’m really a kind person, but the drugs made me a monster."
“Do not waste your life. I wasted my life, but I’m making up for lost time now.”
He adds that it was “through humanitarian pursuits that my life took on vastly new meaning”.
“I came very close to dying. I’d have an epileptic seizure and turn blue and people would find me on the floor and put me to bed, and then 40 minutes later I’d be snorting another line.”
He also went on to say how lucky he was that he was able to get out of that life safe and healthy.
“When you take a drug and you take a drink and you mix those two together, you think you’re invincible,” he said.
“I came out of this HIV-negative. I was the luckiest man in the world.”
Along to celebrate the moment with Elton John was his husband David Furnish and their two sons.
