It is no secret that Elton John was a big fan of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Despite being a trailblazer in the music industry for years, John remained a devoted fan of the pop star, that is until an encounter forced him to rethink his love for his idol.
Elvis Presley has remained controversial throughout the course of his life and later, but witnessing it firsthand was more than John could have handled. Not only did the meet was a wake-up call for the singer but it also prompted John to rethink his admiration and love for Presley.
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When An Encounter Made Elton John Pity Elvis Presley
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Elvis Presley is now hailed as the king of Rock and Roll and widely praised for his contribution to the world of music. However, the star was more than just an excellent singer-songwriter or performer, for he left a disastrous trail of problematic and unhinged behavior that is enough to get him canceled for good (via Far Out Magazine and Vice).
Elton John, who looked up to Presley, was fortunate to witness some of this less severe problematic behavior while attending one of the pop star’s concerts. As per the book Sir Elton by Philip Norman, John, and his writing partner Bernie Tauper attended a concert of the I Got Lucky hitmaker and were absolutely shocked to their core by what they discovered.
“We went to see him do a show but it was absolutely pitiful. He was so drugged, he could hardly sing — he just stood there, handing out scarves.”
Stated Taupin while also adding,
“Then we were taken backstage to see him. There was this dressing room, full of Memphis Mafia, with Elvis in the middle of them on a stool, wrapped in towels. He looked awful… all these guys in suits around him in a kind of huddle. I don’t think he even knew who we were. As we walked away afterwards, Elton said, ‘He’s not long for this world.'”
However, what truly shocked him was that nobody around Presley helped him out despite the pop star looking like a corpse (via Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick).
Meeting Elvis Presley Was A Wake-Up Call For Elton John
Meeting his idol and seeing the devastating state Elvis Presley was living in was a big wake-up call for him. Meeting Presley was also what prompted the singer to seek help and get sober as he revealed during an interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Looking at him prompted John to look at himself and he realized that he was pretty much on the same path as him and decided to change himself as a result. John also once remarked (via Sir Elton by Philip Norman),
“I used to like walking round New York, but I can’t do it anymore. I can’t go out of the hotel without someone causing a fuss, and, no matter how hard I try, I can’t disguise myself. I can’t live my life in a shell, like Elvis Presley or whoever.”
And so the singer decided to change his life around and he has now been sober for all these years, continuing to make music that inspires and entertains people while walking on his own path of prosperity and happiness.
Both books Sir Elton by Philip Norman and Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick can be bought on Amazon.
