Friction is one thing you can always count on when it comes to industry heavyweights. There has been a constant verbal sparring match between Keith Richards and Elton John for over thirty years. The public display of this continuing conversation highlights the persistent differences in both the creative and personal spheres between two of the greatest musicians in Britain.
Their disagreement began in 1988 when Richards expressed his thoughts on a number of contemporary pop songs, such as “I Don’t Wanna Go On With You Like That” by Elton John, in an interview. His words were: “Reg, offer me a Rubens, and I’ll make a kind comment. Reg. Dwight. Charming man, but a poser.
Since Richards’ remark didn’t start out as a direct jab at John, the singer most likely didn’t feel compelled to respond. But when the guitarist made another offensive comment a few years later, John was unable to control himself, which soured their feud. John turned the song “Candle in the Wind“ into a remembrance following the death of Princess Diana. Richards, who was well-known for holding anti-monarchist beliefs, freely and candidly expressed his actual feelings.
“Yes, it did jar a bit, [his] songs for dead blondes,” he admitted to EW. After all, he was a close friend. Reg is in show business, but I doubt I could ride on something like that myself.
John didn’t like Richards’ remarks, despite the fact that Richards introduced himself as a personal friend. He responded angrily to the New York Daily News, saying, “I’m happy I stopped using drugs and alcohol. To be similar to Keith Richards would be horrible. He’s a sad, pitiful creature. It resembles an arthritic monkey attempting to look young on stage.
He went on, “I have a lot of respect for the Stones, but they should’ve fired Keith fifteen years ago. I’ve simply thought of him as an asshole for a very long time.
In that interview, John also went into detail about why he thought Richards’ label of “showbiz” was incredibly hypocritical. Please, if the Rolling Stones aren’t showbiz, what is? He exclaimed. You know, like their blow-up nude ladies.
Moreover, whenever the guitarist was brought up in his autobiography, John didn’t hesitate to voice his unfavourable opinions. Photographs from the 2015 GQ Awards, however, appeared to show the couple having a happy chat. Determining whether their hostility is a public front or a true, deep-seated animosity is a challenging task.
