Elton John is mourning the death of his mother, Sheila Farebrother, shortly after the pair rekindled their relationship.
The 70-year-old singer shared the sad news with his fans through Twitter and Instagram on Monday, writing, “So sad to say that my mother passed away this morning. I only saw her last Monday and I am in shock. Travel safe Mum. Thank you for everything. I will miss you so much. Love, Elton.”
He accompanied the post with a photo of himself and Farebrother, in which they’re both dressed up and smiling wide.
John did not explain the circumstances surrounding his mother’s death.
So sad to say that my mother passed away this morning. I only saw her last Monday and I am in shock. Travel safe Mum. Thank you for everything. I will miss you so much.
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) December 4, 2017
Love, Elton pic.twitter.com/dQKXRbpGRy
The prolific pop musician announced this spring that he had reconciled with his mother after a nearly decade-long estrangement. John shared a smiling photo of the duo on Mother’s Day, writing, “So happy we are back in touch.”
John had not spoken to his mother since an explosive fall-out in 2008. Farebrother told the Daily Mail in 2015 that the estrangement was sparked by John’s mother’s refusal to cut off contact with two of his oldest friends, Bob Halley and John Reid, after he ended his relationship with them.
Farebrother told the British newspaper, “‘I told him: ‘I’m not about to do that and drop them. Bob is like a son to me. He has always been marvellous to me and he lives nearby and keeps an eye on me.’ ”
She added, “Then to my utter amazement, [John] told me he hated me. And he then banged the phone down. Imagine! To me, his mother!”
In 2016, John had confirmed to the Daily Mirror that he had buried the hatchet with his mom, saying, “We are now back in touch.”
“Out of respect for my mother’s privacy, I have always shied away from speaking publicly about our relationship,” he added. “However, I can say that we are now back in touch and have been so since my mother’s 90th birthday.”
This year has had its ups and downs for John. The pop icon had canceled all of the April and May performances of his Las Vegas residency, The Million Dollar Piano, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, due to a “harmful and unusual bacterial infection,” a rep told PEOPLE.
His European tour dates in the coming days have not yet been canceled.
