Elton John Says Cocaine Abuse Nearly Killed Him!

Elton John has revealed that he nearly died when he was abusing the drug cocaine.

In the next installment Piers Morgan's Life Stories the 'Candle In The Wind' singer admits that he nearly died several times from taking the drug:

"I never considered myself a drug addict...I thought drug addicts were people who stuck needles in their arms - and I was the biggest junkie there was. 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."

Elton also says that taking cocaine made it easy for him to socialize:

"It was fun in the early days because I thought, being shy, that cocaine, because it made me talk, was the key - 'I can talk now, I can be one of the gang, I can fit in.' I lost all my friends and the people that loved me didn't want to know me. My mother left the country.And, you know, you find yourself in the most degrading situations. Your personal habits, you don't wash, you lose all sense of pride, all sense of esteem and you can't seem to stop."

The interview with Piers Morgan and Elton John airs tonight at on TV3.