John Lennon Gave Elton John Advice for Going Through His ‘Beatles Period’ of Fame
TL;DR:
- Elton John was eager to meet John Lennon.
- John Lennon offered Elton John advice about fame.
- Elton John and John Lennon quickly became good friends.
John Lennon was one of the most famous people in the world for much of his adult life, and he offered Elton John advice on how to handle his newfound fame. John admired Lennon and made it clear that he wanted to meet him. When they met, Lennon offered John advice on how to handle fame.
John Lennon learned that Elton John wanted to meet him
Lennon was friends with Tony King, a close friend of John’s. King informed the former Beatle that John wanted to meet him.
“Then they talked exuberantly about one of Tony’s oldest and dearest friends, Elton John, who, at that moment, was the most popular rock star in the world,” Lennon’s girlfriend May Pang wrote in her book Loving John. “‘Elton has always desperately wanted to meet you,’ Tony said.”
Lennon, who admired John’s music, was happy to meet with the younger musician.
“‘Really?’ replied John laughing. ‘Then I’d like to meet him.'”
He offered the younger musician advice on how to handle fame
According to Pang, John and Lennon got along well from the moment they met.
“Later that morning we went to the television studio to watch the filming of the commercial,” Pang wrote. “When we got to the studio, Tony was already dressed as the queen. Tony greeted John, then introduced him to Elton John. The two men shook hands. I don’t know how the meeting would have progressed under more formal circumstances, but Tony’s hilarious get up broke the ice. John and Elton were both very witty men and they began to tease Tony about his scepter, his crown, his dress. Both of them genially tried to outdo each other as they raked over their ‘queen.’ They laughed and quipped with each other for an hour, and at the end of the hour they were friends.”
After joking with each other, John and Lennon began to speak about being a celebrity.
“You know, I’m going through my Beatles period now,’ Elton told John,” Pang wrote. “‘I don’t know what I’m going to do when it’s over. You stopped at the top, John. You never ran down.'”
Lennon offered him advice on how to handle such an unprecedented level of fame.
“‘At least you’re aware that you’ll peak,'” Lennon told him. “‘It’s going to happen, and I’m tellin’ you to be prepared. It’s advice nobody gave me.'”
John Lennon and Elton John became good friends
Lennon and John remained friends, and John spoke about how much their relationship meant to him with Lennon’s son Sean.
“That was the kind of wonderful two or three year whirlwind romance we had, and it was such an important thing in my life, Sean, and it just really helped me,” Lennon said, per Express. “It gave me so much confidence. Your dad was as kind and as generous and sweet and we just hit it off immediately.”
John also featured on Lennon’s song “Whatever Gets You Through the Night.” He said that they always had fun when they were together.
“We did a lot of naughty, naughty things together,” John said. “We had a lot of fun. Oh my god.”
