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Performing artists being hit with objects thrown by fans at their shows has taken on a new life recently, but apparently, this has always been a thing as Elton John recalls being struck in the head with a hash pipe after it was thrown on stage one night in his new memoir, Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour.
As reported by Metro, Elton recalled during a Greensboro, North Carolina in November 1974, "Fans have often thrown things onstage when I’m playing, but usually it’s been something reasonably soft. Not in Greensboro. As we plowed through a rendition of 'Burn Down the Mission' [about halfway through the set], someone hurled a metal hash pipe toward the stage from the crowd. I didn’t see it coming."
The music legend added that the band wasn't aware what happened ... at first, explaining, "The silver pipe smashed against my temple, drawing blood, and I completely blacked out. The band kept playing because it took them a second to realize what had happened."
Later on, his band told him they thought he had "been shot" following the incident due to the blood. He remembered, "They told me later they thought I’d been shot because they saw blood pouring down my face."
Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour was released back in September of this year.