Elton John Once Shared Why His Admiration for John Lennon Extended Past His Music
Elton John and John Lennon formed a strong friendship in the 1970s. The two collaborated on a few musical projects, but their relationship went beyond that. John was an admirer of Lennon, and he once said that his appreciation of him extended beyond his musical talent.
Elton John and John Lennon worked on a few songs together
John became a star in the 1970s and gained the attention of many other rock stars, including Lennon. The former Beatle worked with the “Tiny Dancer” on a few songs, which is where their friendship emerged. One project they collaborated on was John’s cover of “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” which featured Lennon on guitar and backing vocals.
The second song was Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Through the Night.” The pair made a bet on this song where if it hit No. 1 on the charts, then Lennon would have to perform the song with John. John won the bet, and Lennon agreed to perform with him, even if it almost made him sick. He made a rare appearance alongside the “Rocketman” singer at Madison Square Garden in 1974.
Elton was captivated by Lennon’s confidence
In a 1986 interview with BBC’s Desert Island Discs, Elton John explained why his respect for John Lennon wasn’t due to only his music. He shared that he had always been shy, and Lennon knew how to light up a room instantly. His confidence impressed him, and it made him wish he could be more like that.
“The real admiration stems from when I met him in the mid-70s. I used to wear dark glasses and I used to use them as a real shield because I was very shy, and I know people think, with your stage manner and all those things, how can you be shy, but I was. The other side of me was, and still is to a certain extent very shy. And John had the wonderful ability to go into a room full of people that he didn’t know and had nothing to do with, they could come from any background in the world and be nice to everybody. Just take a general interest and be genuine about it. And I thought, ‘Oh my God, I wish I could be like that.’”
The ‘Candle in the Wind’ singer only knew Lennon as a kind person
Elton John first met John Lennon during his “Lost Weekend” period, when he had recently separated from Yoko Ono and was going down a dark road of drugs and alcohol. While there are several reported incidents of Lennon’s public outbursts, John said he only remembered Lennon for his “kindness” during this time.
“He was just so nice to people. He could be crazy and could be mean, but he was never that to me,” John recalled. “I never really saw that side of him. For example, in New York, he would take my mum and dad out for dinner, or he would take my band out. There is something about him that is just incredibly kind, I only ever saw his kindness.”
