Rod Stewart reveals he is ‘friend’ again to Elton John after ending a ‘spiteful’ rivalry

Rod Stewart reportedly ended his ‘spiteful’ quarrel with old friend Elton John, apologizing almost three years after they fell out.

Things got tense in 2018 when the rocker of Maggie May, 76, scoffed at the retirement tour of the singer of Your Song and again in 2019 after he made a comment about the biopic based on Elton’s career, called Rocketman.

However, it is now believed that they have patched things up and are “companions again”, with the father of eight Rod who wants to set a good example for his children, apologizing.

According to The Sun, Rod told an upcoming episode of The Harry Redknapp Show podcast that he realized he had been “spiteful” in criticizing Elton’s tour.

He said, ‘I was a little bit spiteful when he announced his tour. I regret it, I really regret it. So, we’re mates again now. I love him. ‘

He continued: ‘I say to my children,’ A man apologizes, go and apologize to your mother. ‘ We just became friends again, me and Elton.

‘We have always been fierce enemies … over the years, but it has always been on a playful level. But we had the worst fight, as a couple. It lasted forever. ‘

MailOnline contacted Rod and Elton representatives.

Rod and Elton have been friends for about 50 years, and they often make fun comments about each other and even use nicknames Sharon and Phyllis.

Last October, it was reported that Elton addressed his rivalry in a new chapter of the paperback version of his autobiography called Me. The original hardcover version was published in October 2019.

In an excerpt obtained by The Sun, the legendary musician said that Rod had a ‘fucking cheek’ when he lectured him about ‘rock and roll’.

It said, ‘I certainly didn’t feel like I needed a lecture on the wild rock and roll spirit of someone who has spent most of the last decade singing his way through the Great American Songbook and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

“Besides, I thought he had a wooden face, complaining about me promoting a tour while he was sitting on a TV show promoting his own tour.”

According to the publication, Elton continues to reveal that he reached out to Rod and told him that they ‘had known each other for a long time to fight over something like this’.

Still, Rod’s manager said he was unable to speak to him on the phone because he was on ‘constant vocal rest’ between tours.

Elton said, ‘I had no idea what I had done to upset him so much. Which was ironic, given the hours I spent over the years deliberately trying to irritate him.

MailOnline contacted Elton and Rod’s representatives for comments at the time.

Rod has already addressed the comments he made about Elton on television in an interview with The Mail on Sunday’s Event in 2018.

He said on a TV show in the United States earlier that year that Elton’s retirement tour “stinks of ticket sales” and added, “It’s dishonest. It’s not rock ‘n’ roll. ‘

Talking to Event about the comment, Rod admitted: ‘I was a little unfair to Elton on a drunken TV night in New York when he said spitefully,’ ‘I think it’s totally out of order for you to announce a farewell tour every time. , and it stinks of money. ”

‘I wish I didn’t say that. I think he is very upset with me. Penny goes on to say, “Send him an apology.” So, I should.

A source close to Elton later told The Sun: ‘Rod’s personal and bearded criticism of his recent successes has outgrown the usual friendly rivalry.

‘Elton appreciates his friendship with Rod and did not want to go public, so he made attempts to contact Rod directly to clear the air.

“When his requests to speak were rejected or left unanswered, Elton felt compelled to clarify things with this new chapter in his autobiography.

The source added that Elton claims he never received any attempt to obtain an olive branch from his former friend. In early October, Rod made claims that he had tried to contact Elton to try to heal his crack, but this was ignored.

Speaking to Chris Evans on his podcast, Rod said, ‘We don’t speak to each other anymore. Big drop.

“The last time I emailed him, I said, ” I have a football field, would you like the boys to go up? ” You know, they both love football. ‘

It seems that the invitation to Rod’s personal introduction was not in Elton’s interest – who shares the sons Zachary, nine, and Elijah, seven, with her husband David Furnish – as he supposedly never responded.

Rod, who is married to Penny Lancaster, also has two boys, the same age: Alistair, 14, and Aiden, nine.

In 2019, Rod revealed the rivalry during an interview with Dermot O’Leary.

“We are not talking today. He has a problem with me now, ‘Rod revealed. ‘We are both very stubborn, so neither of us cares about each other.’

He had already stated: ‘I love Elton, only we are not talking at the moment. We had a fight. I criticized his tour as profitable. ‘

The tour in question – titled Farewell Yellow Brick Road – is an ongoing effort, which was announced in 2018 and is expected to last until 2023, consisting of 300 shows worldwide. It is supposedly the singer’s last tour.

Rod also called Rocketman – who missed his chance to win Oscars last year – “not very flattering”.

He compared it to Freddie Mercury’s biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, from the previous year, saying, ‘I don’t think [Rocketman] lived up to it. ‘

Rod also said of Elton that they were once ‘close friends’ and that Elton was ‘a wonderful ally’.

‘He is one of the most generous people I have ever met,’ he told Dermot at the time.