They might make very different kinds of music, but Eminem and Elton John have been friends for some 20 years

When you think of two musicians that have a friendship, your mind might go towards people who move in the same circles or play a similar kind of music.

For example, Eminem has a good relationship with 50 Cent, which makes sense given how closely the latter has been involved in the former’s career.

But one celebrity that many people might not expect to have a connection to Eminem is Elton John.

The ‘Crocodile Rock’ singer takes a very different tack to Eminem’s career, but the pair have known each other for some 20 years.

It’s probably not unreasonable for two people of their fame to know each other, with things like awards ceremonies bringing musicians of all genres together.

However, many social media users have been left surprised by a wholly unexpected connection between Elton and Eminem which is an indication of how strong their trust is for each other.

Elton John and Eminem have known each other for many years. (Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

Fans of the ‘Lose Yourself’ star will probably be aware that he has been sober for more than 15 years.

In fact, Eminem marked his 16 year anniversary this year, posting a picture of his AA chip on his social media pages.

In September 2022, he opened up about his sobriety journey in an appearance on the Paul Pod podcast.

Eminem said: “I remember when I first got sober and all the s**t was out of my system.

“I remember just being, like, really happy and everything was f**king new to me again.”

But what’s this got to do with Elton John?

When you join a sobriety program you can be given a sponsor to support you.

This is usually someone who is also a recovering addict themselves and so is well-placed to offer help to someone in their recovery.

Becoming a sponsor is also a part of a recovering person’s own journey as a way to help other people.

Eminem and Elton John at the Brit Awards in 2001. (Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

And if you hadn’t guessed already, Elton, who quit drugs and alcohol in 1990, is Eminem’s sponsor.

In his Me memoir, Elton revealed: “I’m Eminem’s AA sponsor. Whenever I ring to check in on him, he always greets me the same way: ‘Hello, you c***’, which I guess is very Eminem.”

The rapper has also been open about their relationship, telling The Guardian in 2009: “When I first wanted to get sober, I called [Elton] and spoke to him about it.

“He’s somebody who’s in the business and can identify and relate to the lifestyle and how hectic things can be.

“He understands … the pressure and any other reasons that you want to come up with for doing drugs.”

He added: “I reached out to him and told him, ‘Look, I’m going through a problem and I need your advice.’”

Many people were left surprised by the fact, with one writing: “I don’t know if you guys know this, but Elton John is Eminem’s AA sponsor and for some reason, that makes my heart full.”

Another replied: “I did not know this (if this is indeed true) and it warms my my heart as well.”

A third posted: “I didn’t know that, cool!!!”

While someone else wrote: “Elton John has been one of my heroes since El Dorado.”