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Elton John tears into Rod Stewart for having ‘f***ing cheek’ to lecture him about ‘rock and roll’

Musicians fell out in 2018 when Stewart called John’s farewell tour ‘dishonest’ and ‘not rock ’n’ roll’

Annabel Nugent
Wednesday 14 October 2020 10:08 BST
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Rod Stewart criticises Elton John's announcement of retirement

Elton John has broken his silence on his public feud with Rod Stewart.

The two musicians fell out with one another two years ago when Stewart called John’s farewell tour “money-grabbing”. He said: “It’s dishonest. It’s not rock ‘n’ roll.”

According to The Sun, John has addressed the clash in his new autobiography – which was released earlier this week.

In it, John reportedly writes that Stewart had a “f***ing cheek” to lecture him on the “spirit of rock and roll”.

John wrote: “I certainly didn’t feel like I needed a lecture on the feral spirit of rock and roll from someone who’d spent most of the last decade crooning his way through the Great American Songbook and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”

Rod Stewart (left) with wife Penny Lancaster and Elton John in 2013 (Getty Images)

The “Tiny Dancer” singer added: “What’s more, I thought he had a f***ing cheek, complaining about me promoting a tour while he was sat on a TV show promoting his own tour.”

Stewart made the disparaging comments during a 2018 appearance on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live.

John claims he had reached out to Stewart, telling him that they had “known each other far too long to fall out over something like that”.

However, his attempts at reconciliation were allegedly rebuffed by Stewart’s manager who said that the “Maggie May” singer was unable to speak because he was on “constant vocal rest” during his tour.

Elton’s comments come shortly after Stewart addressed the controversy last week, claiming that John had turned down an opportunity to end the feud.

“We don’t talk to each other anymore. Big falling out,” Stewart revealed. “Last time I emailed him I said, ‘I’ve got this football pitch, would you like the boys to come up?’ You know, ’cause they both love football.”

Stewart claimed that John never replied to his email, adding that that had saddened him as the pair used to be “real close”.

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