An encounter that could have made music history never happened: Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger (82) has revealed that he never met Elvis Presley (1935-1977) in person - and that he followed the advice of Beatles legend John Lennon (1940-1980). Today he regrets this decision.
On the podcast "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend", Jagger spoke openly about the missed opportunity. When asked why he never met Elvis, the musician explained that John Lennon once advised him not to meet his idols.
"Never meet your heroes"
"John said to me: 'You should never meet your heroes. I would never meet Elvis if I were you, Mick.' So I listened to him", Jagger recalled. Today, the singer sees things differently. "That was really stupid of me. I would have loved to meet Elvis. Why did I listen to John's advice?", he said in retrospect.
According to his own account, Lennon had told Jagger several times about his own meeting with Elvis Presley in 1965. The descriptions had such an impact on the Rolling Stones star that he consciously decided against meeting him. Instead, he wanted to preserve his own image of Elvis.
"I didn't want to let my idea of Elvis be destroyed - as it apparently was for John", Jagger explained. In hindsight, however, he wonders whether his encounter might have turned out quite differently.
Rivalry between the Beatles and the Rolling Stones?
Just recently, Jagger also looked back on the often-cited competition between the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. On the US show "Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist", he explained that while there was a grain of truth to the alleged rivalry, much of it was also exaggerated by the media.
In addition to musical differences, the contrast between London and Liverpool also played a role. "That was a good hook for the press", Jagger said.
In any case, there can be no talk of enmity today: Beatles star Paul McCartney (84) has collaborated with the Rolling Stones several times. Following his guest appearance on the 2023 album "Hackney Diamonds", he can also be heard on the new Stones album "Foreign Tongues", which was released on July 10.
