Isn't it funny when touring couples fight. Old friends and road buddies, Elton John and Billy Joel, are having a strange war of words.
Interviewed for the latest issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, Elton John had some tough words for the Piano Man stating: "At the end of the day, he's coasting," John said."I always say, 'Billy, can't you write another song?' It's either fear or laziness. It upsets me. Billy's a conundrum. We've had so many canceled tours because of illnesses and various other things, alcoholism. He's going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab they've been rehab light. When I went to rehab, I had to clean the floors. He goes to rehab where they have TVs. I love you, Billy, and this is tough love. Billy, you have your demons and you're not going to get rid of them at rehab light. You've got to be serious. People adore you, they love you and respect you. You should be able to do something better than what you're doing now."
One could understand a little anger from those words where Elton questions Billy's current career choices and eludes to him still have subastance abuse problems. Billy Joel, on the other hand, took Elton's jabbing humblely responding through his personal assistant a few days later: "I've worked with Elton for such a long time and I've enjoyed our relationship too much to let something as random as these comments change my affection for him, Elton is just being Elton."
Seems the matter could have ended there with no visably roughed feathers (though who knows how Billy may actually be feeling), but the subject of Billy Joel came up to Elton again in an interview with Matt Lauer of the Today Show. Asked about his tough love towards Joel, Elton restated his words from the interview and added "He sent me a message and he's not happy, he may want to punch my face. I understand that. I'm sorry I had to say it, but I'm saying it because I really want Billy to live a long life and be very happy. That's all it came from. I understand why he's mad at me. I'm only trying to help. Maybe I should have done it privately, but I've been so frustrated over the years."
Now a whole new audience they may have missed Elton's comments in Rolling Stone have heard it on tv, with the additional revelation that Billy is pissed off at him; though Billy's response was very friendly and down to earth. Billy of course responded to Elton's tv appearance with a new message from his publicist:
"1. I do not hate Elton John
2. I do not want to "punch him in the face"
3. If he wants to call me, my number is still the same.
4. Good luck with the movie.
BILLY JOEL"
Looks like Billy is taking the high road again, though he hasn't made any of these statements in person. So is Elton making a big deal out of nothing, trully helping a friend, or just trying to get his name in the headlines?
What do you think?
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