Elton John believes his son Zachary’s childhood is going to be “very difficult,” battling homophobia and the impact of his father’s fame, the pop icon said in an interview published on Tuesday.
The 65-year-old British star and his Canadian civil partner David Furnish, 49, became parents on Dec. 25, 2010 to a child conceived using a donor egg and born via a surrogate mother.
But the singer-songwriter said he was preparing himself for what would be a tough time growing up for his son, who is now 19 months, he told the weekly British magazine Radio Times.
Photo: EPA
照片：歐新社
“At school other children will say, ‘You don’t have a mummy’,” John said.
“We’ve come a long way, but there’s still homophobia and will be until a new generation of parents don’t instill it in their children.”
He added on his son’s upbringing: “It’s natural for him. He calls me ‘Daddy’ and David ‘Papa’.”
John, whose 1997 remake of his 1973 hit “Candle in The Wind” sold 33 million copies, said the toddler did not yet have an understanding of his father’s fame.
“When he finds out, he’ll look at me as if I’m bonkers,” he said.
“Being the child of someone famous is a huge ball and chain around your ankles. It’s going to be very difficult.”
John explained how he was trying to give his son a musical upbringing.
“I want music to be a huge part of his life. I sit him on my lap and he doesn’t bang the piano,” he said.
“He tries to copy me but he’s not formed enough yet to know what I do, thank God.”
John said that he introduced Zachary to classical composers Chopin, Mozart and Beethoven — as well as the children’s song “Nellie The Elephant” — at a very young age, but that his son was more interested in football and cooking.
“I won’t push Zachary into anything. So far, he just loves kicking a ball and watching people cook,” he said.
John also praised Madonna — despite recently reigniting his spat with the US singer in an Australian television interview when he said she looked like a “fairground stripper” whose career was over.
“Madonna took the industry by the scruff of the neck, made opportunities for other women, like (Lady) Gaga and Katy Perry,” he told the Radio Times.
He said of his own singing career: “I would (give up) if I felt the voice had gone, but at 65 it’s getting better and I’m in the prime of life.”
John has sold more than 250 million records in a career spanning four decades and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
(AFP)
艾爾頓‧強在一則週二刊登的專訪中表示，他認為兒子札克里的童年將「非常難熬」，因他不僅要對抗外界的恐同症，還要承擔活在父親光環下的影響。
現年六十五歲的英國巨星在二○一○年十二月二十五日，與現年四十九歲加拿大籍的同性伴侶大衛‧費尼許結為連理，他們以捐贈卵子及代理孕母方式，產下一子。
這位歌手兼作曲家告訴英國週刊《廣播時報》表示，他正為自己面對兒子未來將面臨難熬的成長過程一事做好準備。他兒子目前是十九個月大。
強表示：「在學校裡，其他小孩可能會說：『你沒有媽咪』。」
他表示：「一路走來的漫漫長路雖已有所進展，但社會仍充斥恐同歧視，而這般歧視將持續到下一代為人父母，且不再灌輸子孫恐同觀念後，此問題才能改善。」
對於兒子教養部分，他補充道：「對他是自然的。他稱我為『爹地』，而稱大衛為『爸爸』。」
強在一九九七年重製其一九七三年的熱門單曲「風中之燭」，銷售量達三千三百萬張。他表示，其襁褓中的小孩尚未能夠理解父親的聲望。
他表示：「當他理解後，他將會以我瘋了的眼光看著我。」
「身為名人的小孩要承受很大的束縛。這將會是很難熬的。」
強也解釋他是如何給兒子一個音樂的成長環境。
他表示：「我希望音樂將是他生命中的一大部分。我將他抱在膝上，而他並未敲打鋼琴鍵盤。」
他說：「他試圖要模仿我，但他年紀還太小，不知道我在做什麼。謝天謝地。」
強表示在札克里非常年幼的此時，就對他介紹古典作曲家蕭邦、莫札特與貝多芬─也教他唱兒歌「大象奈麗」─但是兒子似乎對足球與烹飪較感興趣。
他表示：「我不會強迫札克里做任何事。到目前為止，他只喜歡踢球，並且看人烹調食物。」
強也稱讚瑪丹娜─即便他最近在一個澳洲電視專訪中，說她看起來像一位「野台脫衣舞孃」且職涯告吹，而引燃與這位美國歌手的口水戰。
他告訴《廣播時報》表示：「瑪丹娜掌控這個產業，並帶給像是（女神）卡卡與凱蒂‧佩芮等女性出頭的機會。」
對於自己的歌唱事業，他則表示：「只要我感到聲音不再，我將會（隱退），但是年屆六十五歲，我的聲音越來越好，而且我正值人生的全盛時期。」
強在長達四十年的職涯中，已賣出二點五億張唱片，並在一九九四年被選入搖滾流行樂名人殿堂。
（法新社/翻譯：林亞蒂）
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses is touring Taiwan tomorrow. What about pop diva Lady Gaga? B: Unfortunately, Singapore has once again exclusively secured Gaga’s concerts in Asia, just like Taylor Swift’s exclusive Asian shows last year. A: The Singaporean government reportedly paid up to US$2.2 million to secure Swift’s shows. B: And the shows did boost its economy and tourism. A: But I’m angry about this approach, so I’m not going to Gaga’s shows this time. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰明天即將來台，流行天后女神卡卡呢？ B: 真可惜，新加坡再度取得卡卡亞洲巡演的獨家主辦權，就像去年泰勒絲的亞洲獨家演出一樣。 A: 據報導新加坡政府付出高達220萬美元，取得泰勒絲的亞洲獨家主辦權。 B: 而她的秀也的確提振了該國的經濟和旅遊業。 A: 但我對此還是很不爽，所以不去新加坡看卡卡了！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses and pop diva Lady Gaga are finally touring Asia again. B: Are they also coming to Taiwan? A: The band will stage a show at the Taoyuan Sunlight Arena on Saturday. B: Wow, so this will be the band’s third visit. I really love its 1992 power ballad “November Rain.” The nine-minute hit was the Billboard chart’s longest song at one point. A: Let’s go celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰、女神卡卡終於再度展開亞洲巡演了。 B: 他們也會來台巡演嗎？ A: 槍與玫瑰本週六即將在桃園陽光劇場開唱唷。 B: 哇這將是該團第三次來台演出，我超愛他們1992年強力情歌《November Rain》，全長近9分鐘還曾是告示牌排行榜最長神曲。 A: 那我們一起去慶祝該團出道40週年吧！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
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