While David Bowie is known as one of rock’s most captivating figures, providing many moments of musical genius, he could also be a tough customer when he wanted to be.
Bowie may have provided his fans with many fascinating stories in his time, such as the prescient comments he made about the future development of the Internet when speaking to Jeremy Paxman in 1999, but, in his time , he was also known to be overwhelming towards some. of his most eminent peers. It was so blatant that one could even call it childish.
Throughout his life, artists like Gary Numan, The Jesus and Mary Chain and even Paul McCartney encountered the cutting side of David Bowie. However, besides Gary Numan – an artist he ridiculed for allegedly ripping him off – another came under incredibly snarky criticism from Bowie. Surprisingly, it’s his glamorous counterpart, Elton John, another one of the most influential musicians of his era.
It’s strange that Bowie didn’t have time for Elton John, as he and T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan frequented clubs with John in their youth. However, when speaking to rolling stone In 1976, Bowie admitted that things had deteriorated between him and the “Rocket Man” singer years before, a time when he revealed that he had called John “the Liberace, the symbolic queen of rock”, a phrase which would undoubtedly have offended its target.
The barbs sent by Bowie towards Elton John did not stop there. He even claimed that his prey had scammed him. He said: “I consider myself responsible for a whole new school of pretensions – they know who they are. Right, Elton?
Later, Elton John will give more information about what happened between him and Bowie. He recalls: “We started out being really good friends. Marc Bolan and I used to hang out, go to gay clubs, but I think we just grew apart.
Adding: “David and I weren’t the best of friends towards the end.”
Elton John eventually forgave Bowie, although they never truly reconciled. He went so far as to attribute Bowie’s comments to his cocaine addiction, which peaked in 1976. Speaking on “Starman” again in 2016, he said of his remarks: “I thought it was a bit pretentious. It wasn’t my cup of tea. No, I wasn’t his cup of tea.”
