Elton John played benefactor to a former fiancé during lockdown — paying for a knee replacement for a woman he jilted at the altar 50 years ago.
Linda Hannon, 76, dated John, 73, when he was known as Reg Dwight after meeting him at a club in 1968. During the time the two dated, John was struggling and Hannon paid many of his bills. While the couple were set to be married, three weeks before the wedding, during his bachelor party, John’s songwriting partner Bernie Taupin and blues singer Long John Baldry talked him out of it.
“The pair got Elton ‘roaring drunk’ and told him to call it off, saying he was going to ruin two lives — his own and Linda’s,” According to the Mirror. “The breakup came just months before he scored a smash hit with Your Song in 1970”
John’s 1975 song, “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” is about that night and Hannon, noting, “You almost had your hooks in me, didn’t you dear? You nearly had me roped and tied, altar-bound, hypnotized.”
Despite the song, Hannon always felt kindly toward John who later married another woman, Renate Blauel in 1984 before divorcing in 1988, coming out of the closet and marrying his husband David Furnish in 2014.
The two had not been in contact since their split, although Hannon, who now lives in Dallas and works as an office manager for a doctor’s office, did catch him in concert once. She thought of him again during the COVID-19 lockdown when she was informed she would need a knee replacement which would require five weeks off to recover from surgery — time she couldn’t afford to take off. So she decided to call in a favor.
“When Reg started out, I was paying the rent, bills and for the food,” Hannon told the Mirror. “It was while they were trying to live their dreams.” Hannon attempted to email John’s management but got no reply so she turned to the Mirror for help.
According to the paper, “When the Mirror related her story to Elton’s team, they responded almost immediately — saying he would be delighted to help.
“When Elton heard about Linda’s plight, he didn’t hesitate for a second to help out,” A source close to Elton told the Mirror. “He remembers how good she was 50 years ago, when he and Bernie needed the support, and is really pleased to be able to help her in her hour of need.”
Hannon added, “I am so touched by Reg. After all these years, it’s so kind. I am thrilled to bits that he is offering to help.”