Elton John is mourning the loss of his mother, Sheila Farebrother, who died today at 92.
“So sad to say that my mother passed away this morning. I only saw her last Monday and I am in shock,” he wrote in an Instagram post with a photograph of smiling mother and son. “Travel safe, Mum. Thank you for everything. I will miss you so much. Love, Elton.”
Farebrother, who encouraged her son to play piano beginning at age 3, was known to be very supportive of his career. Though his father was a trumpeter, the two had a poor relationship, and it was his mom who introduced him to the music that would change his life, according to the BBC. Farebrother was a record collector, bringing home albums by artists like Elvis Presley and Bill Haley.
The two had a falling out in 2008, however, when Farebrother refused to cut ties with two of John’s oldest friends — his driver, as well as his manager and former boyfriend — after he ended his own relationship with them. But earlier this year, the two mended their relationship when a bacterial infection put John in the hospital.
Elton John’s current tour continues after a show last night in Barcelona. He currently has 12 upcoming performances planned, including one in Hamburg tomorrow.