‘He was a uniter’: Elton John says pal John Lennon would have won a Nobel Peace Prize if he hadn’t been killed as he discusses ‘whirlwind bromance’ with the Beatles star
- Elton John spoke about friendship with John Lennon on Radio 2’s special show
- Told John’s son Sean he believes his father could have won a Nobel Peace Prize
- Said the Beatles star was ‘peace-loving, brilliant, funny, opinionated, a treasure’
- Singer, 73, performed on John’s track Whatever Gets You Thru The Night in 1974
- The pair also shared the stage together at Madison Square Garden in New York in November 1974, which was John’s final live show before he was killed in 1980
John Lennon has said that he believes his pal John Lennon would have won a Nobel Peace Prize if he hadn’t been killed in 1980.
The singer, 73, discussed his ‘wonderful two or three year whirlwind bromance’ with the Beatles star on Radio 2’s John Lennon at 80 special.
Chatting to the late Imagine singer’s son Sean, 44, Elton said: ‘I think that if your dad had still been alive he would have maybe won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Friendship: John Lennon has said that he believes his pal John Lennon would have won a Nobel Peace Prize if he hadn’t been killed in 1980 on Radio 2’s John Lennon at 80 special
‘He was a uniter and was prepared to go to any lengths to make people see what his point was.’
Elton went on to mention the difficulties John faced at the time, saying: ‘And a lot of people… like the FBI, they gave him a hard time, but it didn’t deter him.
‘He was peace-loving, brilliant, funny, opinionated, a treasure – we need people like him today.’
John was know for his activism, with the singer holding a Bed-In for Peace during his honeymoon to Amsterdam and another in Montreal where he wrote and recorded Give Peace a Chance in 1969.
Show time: Elton and John took to the stage together at Madison Square Garden in New York in November 1974 which would become the Beatles’ star’s last live performance
On the radio special Elton also discussed how he met John in 1973 with the two having a ‘whirlwind bromance’ for a few years.
During this time they made music together, with Elton performing on Whatever Gets You Thru The Night in 1974.
Speaking about this collaboration, Elton told Sean: ‘Playing on your dad’s record… I could have died and gone to heaven.’
In November of that year the pals also took to the stage together at Madison Square Garden in New York, which would become John Lennon’s final live performance.
Protesting for peace: John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono staged a Bed-In on their honeymoon to Amsterdam in 1969 (pictured) and another later that year in Montreal
Family matters: Elton told John’s son Sean, 44, his father was ‘peace-loving, brilliant, funny, opinionated, a treasure’ during the radio interview (Sean pictured with mother Yoko in 2011)
As well as discussing their entwined careers, Elton chatted about John’s relationship with Sean’s mother Yoko Ono.
John and Yoko married in 1969 but briefly split before they had Sean in 1975. After the birth of his second son, John didn’t see Elton as much.
Elton said: ‘I think when he had you, he mellowed a lot. I just think he relished spending the time with you that he probably hadn’t had with his first boy Julian.
‘And I think it mellowed him a lot being back with your mum and having a family life.’
Grateful: Sir Paul McCartney also appeared on the radio special, revealing he was grateful he got to reunite with John before his death (the Beatles pictured in 1967)
John’s former bandmate Sir Paul McCartney also guest features on the radio show, with him admitting he was grateful he got to reunite with John before his death.
The Beatles icon, 78, reflected on his friend’s passing in 1980, and admitted he would have struggled with ‘heartache’ if he had not reconnected with him.
Speaking to Sean, Paul said he was ‘so happy’ he had the chance to reconnect with his father.
Paul explained: ‘I always say to people, one of the great things for me was that after all The Beatles rubbish and all the arguing and the business, you know, business differences really… that even after all of that, I’m so happy that I got it back together with your dad.
Let bygones be bygones: The feud between the Paul and John was well-documented by the press, however the pair did put their differences aside before Lennon’s murder in 1980
‘It really, really would have been a heartache to me if we hadn’t have reunited. It was so lovely too that we did and it really gives me sort of strength to know that.’
Lennon had reportedly privately told his bandmates he was quitting in 1969 and in 1970 the split hit headlines when Sir Paul announced publicly that he was no longer working with the group.
The feud between the two was well-documented by the press at the time and, in a 1971 interview, Lennon stated that he could not foresee working with Sir Paul again, however the pair did put their differences aside before Lennon’s murder in 1980.
John Lennon at 80 is set to take place from 9-10pm on October 3 and 4 on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.
Honest: Looking back at the group’s split, Paul claimed ‘it was like a divorce’ as ‘it’s very difficult to collect your thoughts and to just be jolly’ (pictured in 1964)
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