Sir Elton John shared stories of his incredible friendship with late Beatles legend John Lennon in an emotional interview to mark what would have been his 80th birthday

Elton John remembers ‘whirlwind romance’ with Beatles legend John Lennon

Sir Elton John has described his incredible friendship with Beatles legend John Lennon as a “whirlwind romance”.

The musical icons struck up an amazing bond when they met in 1973, embarking on a friendship like no other.

John’s life was tragically cut short in December 1980 when he was murdered in cold blood outside his New York apartment by Beatles fanatic Mark David Chapman.

If he was still alive, John would be turning 80 in just a few short days, and BBC Radio 2 is marking the important date with a series of emotional interviews from those who knew and loved the star.

In a two-part interview, being broadcast this weekend ahead of John’s birthday on October 9, Elton says they had a “whirlwind romance” of love, friendship and music.