'When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was, ‘Forgive Me’ and the wall between us fell down,' Madonna says of her recent encounter with Elton John. Photo: Madonna/Instagram
Madonna and Sir Elton John finally had their “forgive and forget” moment after more than 20 years’ spat that stemmed from latter’s accusation that the Queen of Pop got a “bad tune” and was lip-syncing in the early 2000s.
Madonna declared in her latest Instagram post that she and the EGOT winner have finally “buried the hatchet” as they embraced for a photo.
“We Finally Buried the Hatchet!!! I went to see [@eltonjohn] perform on SNL this weekend!! WOW. I remembered when I was in high school – I snuck out of the house one night to see Elton perform live in Detroit! It was an unforgettable performance that helped me understand the transformative power of music,” she wrote.
Madonna underscored that it changed the course of her life when she saw the British singer-songwriter on stage as it served as an essential reminder that it was ok for her “to be different.”
However, amid her appreciation, Madonna admitted that receiving an unkind word from the Your Song singer was something that she could not understand at the time.
“Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist. I didn’t understand it. I was told Elton John was the musical guest on SNL and I decided to go,” she said, adding that she went backstage to confront him over his past remarks against her.
“When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was, ‘Forgive Me’ and the wall between us fell down. Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Within minutes. We were hugging,” continued Madonna, 66.
Madonna then shared that John, 78, had written a song for her and wanted to collaborate, saying, “It was like everything came full circle!! And you can tell everybody, ‘This is Your Song'.”
In 2002, John told UK outlet Sky News that Madonna’s song for the new 007 film, Die Another Day, was “the worst Bond tune ever.”
“It hasn’t got a tune,” he said. “They should have gone for somebody like Lulu and Shirley Bassey, or maybe I’m in that league? I don’t think it’s the best Madonna record.”
Not long after, the Tiny Dancer once dissed Madonna’s vocals after she got nominated for Best Live Act in the 2004 Q Awards.
“Madonna, best live act? F— off. Since when has lip-syncing been live?” he said onstage. “Anyone who lip syncs in public on stage when you pay 75 pounds to see them should be shot. Thank you very much.”
At the 2012 Golden Globes, the Crazy For You singer acknowledged John’s hate towards her after she took home the Best Original Song.
“[Elton’s] been known to get mad at me, so I don’t know. He’s brilliant, and I adore him, so he’ll win another award. I don’t feel bad,” she expressed.
Later that year, John accused Madonna of mean girl behaviour towards his friend Lady Gaga, saying, “She’s such a nightmare … and she looks like a f—— fairground stripper. She’s been so horrible to Gaga.”
In his 2019 memoir, John reflected on his feud with the Like A Virgin singer saying that he shouldn’t have said the things that he said. – Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network
