Elton John believes son’s childhood going to be ‘very difficult’

Elton John has told how he believes his son Zachary’s childhood is going to be “very difficult” as he battles homophobia and the impact of his father’s fame.

The 65-year-old star and his civil partner David Furnish, 49, became parents on Christmas Day 2010 to a child conceived using a donor egg and born via a surrogate.

But the singer said he was preparing himself for what would be a rough time growing up for his son, who is now 19 months.

He told the Radio Times the toddler did not yet have an inkling of his father’s fame. “When he finds out, he’ll look at me as if I’m bonkers. Being the child of someone famous is a huge ball and chain around your ankles. It’s going to be very difficult.”

The Rocket Man singer told the magazine: “At school other children will say, ‘You don’t have a mummy’.

“We’ve come a long way, but there’s still homophobia and will be until a new generation of parents don’t instil it in their children.”

He added of his son’s upbringing: “It’s natural for him. He calls me ‘Daddy’ and David ‘Papa’.”

Elton said he introduced Zachary to Chopin, Mozart and Beethoven — as well as 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.

Despite recently re-igniting his feud with Madonna by saying that she looked like a “fairground stripper” and criticising her for being “horrible” to his son’s godmother Lady Gaga, he praised the star.

“Madonna took the industry by the scruff of the neck, made opportunities for other women, like Gaga and Katy Perry,” he said.

But he said that “some (women) aren’t good at handling their own careers”. He told the magazine: “Dusty Springfield was insecure, like a lot of women singers, including Amy Winehouse.

“It’s tragic. Back to Black will sound as good in 50 years as it does today. She was one of the greatest, but if someone doesn’t want to get well, they won’t.

The singer said that his remaining ambition was to win another Tony award, this time for a musical version of Animal Farm.

Elton said that he wanted the Dusty Springfield song Goin’ Back to be played at his funeral, adding: “I want people to be sad while I’m being pushed out of the church, and then to have a party.”