After years of animosity, a remarkable reconciliation occurred between music icons Elton John and Madonna following Elton’s recent appearance on Saturday Night Live.
The two superstars had maintained a frosty relationship for over two decades, stemming from pointed criticisms made by Sir Elton, who once famously described Madonna as resembling “a fairground stripper.” However, the passage of time appears to have fostered a sense of perspective and prompted a desire for resolution.
Nearing 80 years old, Sir Elton seemingly embraced a more conciliatory approach. Madonna, age 66, announced the end of their long-standing dispute with an exuberant Instagram post, accompanied by a photograph of them standing together. “We Finally Buried the Hatchet!!!” she exclaimed.
Her caption revealed a personal connection to Elton’s music from her youth: “I went to see @eltonjohn perform on SNL this weekend!! WOW. As a teenager, I snuck out of my house to see him perform live in Detroit.” She credited that early experience with shaping her understanding of the transformative power of music.
Madonna acknowledged the pain caused by Elton’s past remarks, especially given his status as an idol. “Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist,” she wrote. She stated she sought him out backstage at SNL to address the issue.
According to Madonna’s account, Elton was immediately apologetic. “When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was, ‘Forgive Me’ and the wall between us fell down.” She emphasized the importance of forgiveness: “Within minutes, we were hugging.”
Sir Elton reciprocated with a heartfelt message on Instagram: “Thank you for coming to see me at SNL, and thank you for forgiving me and my big mouth.” He expressed regret over his earlier statements, acknowledging Madonna’s groundbreaking contributions to the music industry. “I’m not proud of what I said, particularly when I think about all the ground-breaking work you have done as an artist – paving the way for an entire generation of female artists to succeed and be true to themselves.” He also recognized her early activism in support of HIV/AIDS awareness.
The origins of their feud can be traced back to 2002, when Elton criticized Madonna’s rendition of “Die Another Day” as the “worst Bond tune ever.” This was followed by further disparaging remarks at the Q Awards in 2004 and again in 2012.
Despite their disagreements, the two had previously enjoyed a friendly relationship, even performing together on stage. Madonna’s post revealed that Elton also shared exciting news: he had written a song specifically for her and expressed interest in collaborating.
“Then he told me he had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate. It was like everything came full circle!!” she wrote, hinting at the potential for a collaboration that could rival Elton’s recent partnership with Brandi Carlile on their forthcoming album “Who Believes In Angels?” This new project is widely anticipated to top the UK charts and secure Sir Elton’s tenth number one album in the country.
The reconciliation takes place amidst concerns about Sir Elton’s health. He recently revealed that a debilitating infection, which resulted in vision loss in his right eye, has been impacting both his personal life and career. As he told *The Times*, “I can see you, but I can’t see TV, I can’t read… I can’t see my boys playing rugby and soccer, and it has been a very stressful time.”
Sir Elton shares two sons, Zachary, 14, and Elijah, 12, with his husband David Furnish, 62.
