Elton John mourns 60 friends lost to Aids

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 09:02 AM

Elton John has lost 60 friends to Aids including pop pal Freddie Mercury and two members of his own staff.

Speaking at a business awards ceremony in London, the superstar attacked the Catholic Church for condemning the use of condoms and urged businesses to help the fight against Aids.

He said: "I'm devastated to have watched friends I loved very much die from this terrible disease.

"I've never mentioned before the shock of seeing a young woman who worked in my office die because anti-retrovirals were then unavailable. More recently a young man fell ill and died within a period of three months."

Since launching the Elton John Aids Foundation in 1992 John has raised millions for Aids sufferers and research into the disease.