Rod Stewart addressed his relationship with Elton John during an interview on Scottish radio, according to The Telegraph, saying: “I do love Elton, only we’re not talking at the moment. We’ve had a spat.” When asked why they had fallen out, the rocker revealed: “Because I criticised his tour as being money-grabbing.”
Rod also went on to take aim at the Elton biopic, Rocketman, comparing unfavourably with Bryan Singer’s film on the life and career of Freddie Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody.
He told the station Rocketman was “not very flattering”, adding that it failed to match up to the Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody, which he called a “great rock ’n’ roll film”.
“I don’t think this [Rocketman] quite lived up to it,” he said.
Rod’s remarks come after he made a series of jibes at Elton’s expense, poking fun at the announcement of his epic Farewell Yellow Brick Tour during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.
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Asked about what he thought of Elton’s goodbye world tour, he said: “Well I did email her [Elton] and said, ‘What, again dear?’ But I didn’t hear anything back.”
Rod also said he thinks when people announcing their retirement it “stinks of selling tickets”.
Calling retirement tours “dishonest”, he said: I’ve never spoken about it and, if I do retire, I won’t make an announcement. I’ll just fade away.”
Elton previously announced his retirement from live performance back in 1977, but ended up making a comeback and continuing to gig.
Last year, he unveiled his mammoth farewell tour, with 300 dates scheduled over three years.
“I always thought I was going to be like Ray Charles, BB King — on the road forever,” he said at the time. “My priorities have changed. We had children and it changed our lives.
“That doesn’t mean to say I’m not going to be creative. But I’m not going to travel.”
Rod later revealed his regret over his comments regarding the Tiny Dancer hitmaker’s tour, telling the Mail On Sunday’s Event magazine: “I was a bit unfair to Elton, on a drunk night on television in New York, when I spitefully said, ‘I think it’s bang out of order that you announce a farewell tour every time, and it stinks of grabbing money.’
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“I wish I hadn’t said it,” he admitted. “I think he’s very upset with me.”
At the time, the Maggie May singer said his wife Penny Lancaster had been urging him to send Elton an apology, adding: “So I should really.”
The pair have had an up and down professional rivalry going for years, with Elton insisting in a 1983 interview that they were “were good friends”.
“We’re alright until we both get in the Top 10,” he added.
In a bizarre turn of events, things heated up in the late ‘90s after Rod paid for four huge football-shaped balloons be flown above Earl’s Court in order to promote his gigs there.
Elton soon hired a sniper with an air rifle to shoot them down, writing in his new autobiography: “Apparently it landed on top of a double-decker bus and was last seen heading toward Putney.”
The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour kicked off in the US in September last year.
Next year, it will close with a winter tour of the UK and Ireland.
Express.co.uk has contacted representatives for Sir Elton John asking for comment.
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