Elton John, 77, Shares Heartbreaking Thoughts on Being an Older Father

In the new documentary Elton John: Never Too Late , which premiered Sept. 6 at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the 77-year-old music icon talks with heartbreaking honesty about his fears and regrets as an older parent.

John shares sons Zachary, 13, and Elijah, 11, with his husband of 10 years, David Furnish, 61. "They think about my mortality. They worry about my mortality," John said of his boys. “Not so much David, but me.”

The “I’m Still Standing” singer added that his sons "love their daddy, so they want me to be around forever.” John admitted, “I would love to be around forever."

Still, John understands the realities of aging . He’s reconciled that he likely won’t be alive for many of Zachary and Elijah’s major life events. "I want to see them have children and get married. I don't think I'm going to be around for that. Who knows?" John mused. "You never know."

Despite that causing him some anguish, John is determined to soak up every moment he can with his family. “I want to use the best time—the best of my time—while I'm around," he said. "Time together is so wonderful and so precious."

John’s remarks were heard for the first time at the documentary’s premiere just one day after the singer announced he had spent the summer “ dealing with a severe eye infection that has unfortunately left me with only limited vision in one eye.” He added to fans, “I am healing, but it’s an extremely slow process.”

Elton John: Never Too Late chronicles John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road farewell concert tour, including performance footage, archival clips, and revealing interviews with friends and family. Early reviews have been largely positive,

The documentary, directed by Furnish and R.J. Cutler, premieres Dec. 13 on Disney+. You can check out the trailer below.