Elton John says too old to adopt child

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - British pop star Elton John said in an interview published Tuesday he was too old to adopt a child at age 54 but would have done so 20 years ago.

John told Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet that he and his companion, David Furnish, had thought a lot about adopting a child.

``But I have come to the conclusion that it is too late for me. Had it been 20 years ago, then I would definitely have done it,'' John told the paper, in what it called an exclusive interview.

The performer, on a one-day visit to Sweden to appear in a television show, said: ``I don't want to be 70 years old when my daughter turns 16.''

He also said his fame would cause ``extra big'' responsibilities because celebrity parents attracted so much media attention.

``David and I are one of the world's most famous gay couples,'' he said, adding that his own extensive traveling could be difficult to combine with the role of being a parent.

John, who changed his name from Reginald Dwight to Elton John 30 years ago, sings about discrimination against homosexuals in his latest album, ``Songs from the West Coast.''

``I am proud to be gay, but at the same time I don't live for being gay,'' said the star, whose hits include such classic rock standards as ``Your Song,'' ``Rocket Man'' and ``Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.''

Reuters/Variety REUTERS