Elton John opens up about turbulent relationship that inspired iconic song

Elton John’s rise in 1973 came at a personally challenging time for the icon. His relationship with his manager John Reid had given the singer considerable heartache, which reflected in his songs.

Elton put out his most successful album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, that year and included the now-classic Candle in the Wind.

The poignant melody was originally written to honor Marilyn Monroe and later rewritten in honor of Princess Diana after her death in 1997. Elton also sang the song at the Princess’ funeral.

However, the lyrics also reflect Elton’s turbulent relationship with Reid. In his documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, the icon recalls: “It was the same time John Reid broke my heart. My relationship with him wasn’t all it was meant to be.”

“When I wrote those songs I was miserably unhappy," he confessed. "That kind of came through in the songwriting. It was very very moving to me, and it was very very cathartic.”

According to Elton, Reid, who also managed Queen in the late '70s, was unfaithful in the relationship and broke his heart.

"I was very naive. When I found out about it, I was crushed," he said of Reid’s infidelity.

Recalling a confrontation with the music mogul, he said: "I had a party at the house, and we had a fight, and he smacked me in the face. He made my nose bleed, cut my face. I loved John a lot, but I said, ‘I can’t go through this anymore.’ And when that fell apart, I kind of fell apart."

The superstar was left doubting himself after the relationship ended: "John left an emptiness within me. I thought being alone was a sense of failure. Why isn’t someone with me? I’m not good enough. I chased relationships. I chased love — always looking for love all the time."

Elton John and John Reid ended their professional ties in 1998. The singer went on to marry his boyfriend of 21-years, filmmaker David Furnish in 2014 and shares sons Zachary, who turns 15 on Christmas Day, and Elijah, 11, with him.