Elton John: Never In A Million Years Did I Think Axl Was Homophobic

[Funky.Monkey]

Elton John Never Felt That Eminem or Axl Rose Were Homophobic

March 23, 2017

Earlier today, Zane Lowe interviewed Elton John for a special Beats 1 broadcast ahead of his 70th birthday this Saturday.   Within the in-depth interview Elton talked about everything from his music career to his relationship with David, his children, the Lion King, performing Candle in the Wind, the dangers of celebrity culture, the future of radio and much more.

On his friendships with Eminem and Axl Rose:    

I’m always a supporter of the people that are getting trashed. For me Eminem was never homophobic. I listened to the whole of the Marshall Mathers album when I drove to a show in South Hampton and I was floored by it. And I thought how could anyone think this is… he’s just writing about the way things are. Not how he thinks but the way things are. And the same with Axl. Never in a million years did I think he was homophobic. So I did things. I did the MTV Music Awards with him and the Guns N’ Roses and I did the Grammys with Marshall and I became very big friends with Marshall. I’ll fight for anyone who is misunderstood and misrepresented by the idiots out there. 

http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2017/03/elton-john-never-felt-that-eminem-or.html

 

[rocknroll41]

Elton seems like a really good guy, actually.

[Caught_in_a_Coma]

She's got electric boots, a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magaziiiiine
 

[Silent Jay]

Not exactly the story Axl told in 2006.

[killuridols]

26 minutes ago, Silent Jay said:

Not exactly the story Axl told in 2006.

lol it amazes me how two people in the same room can perceive things in a total opposite way 

[Billsfan]

1 hour ago, Silent Jay said:

Not exactly the story Axl told in 2006.

What story is this? Do tell..

[double talkin jive mfkr]

elton didnt want to do the collaboration until last minute

[Mendez]

13 hours ago, Billsfan said:

What story is this? Do tell..

 

Edited March 26, 2017 by Mendez

[starlight]

I don't perceive Axl as really homophobic either, I think it has more to do with what the world in general thinks about homosexuality. If it was well accepted then there would be no problem. People are just scared about things that aren't considered as normality

[Blackstar]

Axl had said that Elton sent him flowers when GnR opened for The Stones in 1989 with the note "Don't let the bastards grind you down". I bet that  Elton John could never have imagined that Axl was his biggest fan (not just because of OIAM) and "such a sweetheart"

Edited March 26, 2017 by Blackstar
corrected info

[shjtjustgotreal]

this reminds me of the interview with that fucking eric andre (or however the fuck he spells it) guy  

fuck that guy  

[double talkin jive mfkr]

this is when axl reached his peak - freddie with elton 

all down from there 

[Chris 55]

9 hours ago, Mendez said:

Skip to 1:31:50

Some LOUD ass kissing going on

Edited March 26, 2017 by Chris 55

[rocknroll41]

6 hours ago, double talkin jive mfkr said:

this is when axl reached his peak - freddie with elton 

all down from there 

Did Freddie ever meet Axl? Or say he liked him?

[Ratam]

I believe  axl no elton jhon

[MADDOGJONES]

1 hour ago, rocknroll41 said:

Did Freddie ever meet Axl? Or say he liked him?

I don't think they met but I did hear that Freddy liked Axl, I think May said that sometime when talking about the performers at the benefit concert.

[MADDOGJONES]

8 hours ago, double talkin jive mfkr said:

this is when axl reached his peak - freddie with elton 

all down from there 

You are right, but where do you go from there? For Axl a great honour. I suppose AC/DC might have some of that going for him too. A great show, the footage is amazing, that's a show I would have loved to be at.

[soon]

Elton seems to be utilizing a tactic that is sometimes called 'claiming the centre' and Im fine with him doing so.

Claiming the centre means that you state that your point is widely accepted and assert that the people you're speaking with already agree with you.

Its only useful the you are clearly in the right.

Elton John is using Axl as a figure head of a group who are or were homophobes and redirecting them by saying that they never were homophobes; they've always understood the truth.

Because homophobia is indefensible many will be successfully redirected.  

Might sound unbelievable but it works incredibly well.  People are given a chance to restate their belief with their dignity intact.  Being entrenched in a point of view is sometimes the fault of many factions, not just the entrenched. 

Those lyrics and Axls initial explanation were homophobic.  

Axl having been assaulted while hitchhiking to LA is an absolute horror and he has every right to be hurt and outraged, but it seems that homophobic rhetoric is what he found to make sense of his suffering.  That is sad.  The issue is sexual assault, not sexual orientation.  

Personally I believe that homophobic rhetoric is all Axl had to express his pain, but that he didn't actually care if peaceful individuals were lgbtq.  He was young and uneducated.  Axl didn't mind turning that album in to David Geffen for instance.

Or

Elton is just wrong: being gay doesnt mean you are an authority on the subject of homophobia, especially if you're rich enough to live an insulated life.  Something tell me its been a minute since Elton was alone at a gas station when truck full of people playing One In A Million pulled in.

Edited March 27, 2017 by soon

[MADDOGJONES]

34 minutes ago, soon said:

Elton seems to be utilizing a tactic that is sometimes called 'claiming the centre' and Im fine with him doing so.

Claiming the centre means that you state that your point is widely accepted and assert that the people you're speaking with already agree with you.

Its only useful the you are clearly in the right.

Elton John is using Axl as a figure head of a group who are or were homophobes and redirecting them by saying that they never were homophobes; they've always understood the truth.

Because homophobia is indefensible many will be successfully redirected.  

Might sound unbelievable but it works incredibly well.  People are given a chance to restate their belief with their dignity intact.  Being entrenched in a point of view is sometimes the fault of many factions, not just the entrenched. 

Those lyrics and Axls initial explanation were homophobic.  

Axl having been assaulted while hitchhiking to LA is an absolute horror and he has every right to be hurt and outraged, but it seems that homophobic rhetoric is what he found to make sense of his suffering.  That is sad.  The issue is sexual assault, not sexual orientation.  

Personally I believe that homophobic rhetoric is all Axl had to express his pain, but that he didn't actually care if peaceful individuals were lgbtq.  He was young and uneducated.  Axl didn't mind turning that album in to David Geffen for instance.

Or

Elton is just wrong: being gay doesnt mean you are an authority on the subject of homophobia, especially if you're rich enough to live an insulated life.  Something tell me its been a minute since Elton was alone at a gas station when truck full of people playing One In A Million pulled in.

This is a very interesting post and sounds very plausible. 

Whether you are a fan or not of either Axl or eminem, they are very talented songwriters, so someone like Elton, who would surely recognise such talent, may be inclined to give some benefit of doubt due to the quality and depth of their lyrics.

He might be inclined to look for a reason to give them the benefit of the doubt, which I think with eminem and Axl is deserved, even if in the moment they clearly have said homophobic or racist things in their music. I guess it would be different if they said something in public, not within their art, like Mel Gibson, for example.

I do get that one in a million has homophobic lyrics but I always understood the last verse as an explanation for the previous verses from someone further down the line in the story, Axl looking back at himself and trying to explaining his views, sort of don't point your finger at me, I'm a product of you and your society.

With eminem, he seemed to want to attack the PC culture and said pretty much whatever he wanted to get a rise out of the public, which worked very well, but in the context of his alter ego, that seems valid too. Bit miffed that he still plays the same card now and calls people "fag" but goes after trump, who really says less directly offensive things, but again, one Is art one is in politics. So there is a difference.

Edited March 27, 2017 by MADDOGJONES

[double talkin jive mfkr]

4 hours ago, MADDOGJONES said:

You are right, but where do you go from there? For Axl a great honour. I suppose AC/DC might have some of that going for him too. A great show, the footage is amazing, that's a show I would have loved to be at.

if he releases something new with acdc and more importantly gnr he can reach new heights again and both seem feasible 

also, axl is very close to best frontman and right next to freddie and at this particular concert particularly for his bohemian entrance he is at the highest rock god status known to man

Edited March 27, 2017 by double talkin jive mfkr

[Lies They Tell]

Elton Johns "I never though that Axl was homophobic" -claim is just as true as the idea that Axl never was homophobic. Both are true from a certain point of view, as Obi-Wan would say.

[dalsh327]

13 hours ago, MADDOGJONES said:

I don't think they met but I did hear that Freddy liked Axl, I think May said that sometime when talking about the performers at the benefit concert.

They might have talked over the phone in 1991 when Axl heard Freddie was sick, pretty much everyone knew why but he didn't want to make an announcement about it.

I think Axl's also good friends with Bernie Taupin who lives or lived in Santa Ynez, surprised he's never been asked to co-write with GNR. Or maybe he did and it didn't pan out.

The tribute concert was the beginning of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, but you pretty much have every great frontman in rock sharing the same stage - Paul Rodgers, Axl, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, David Bowie. I think it was also Mick Ronson's last concert.

 

[MADDOGJONES]

8 hours ago, dalsh327 said:

They might have talked over the phone in 1991 when Axl heard Freddie was sick, pretty much everyone knew why but he didn't want to make an announcement about it.

I think Axl's also good friends with Bernie Taupin who lives or lived in Santa Ynez, surprised he's never been asked to co-write with GNR. Or maybe he did and it didn't pan out.

The tribute concert was the beginning of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, but you pretty much have every great frontman in rock sharing the same stage - Paul Rodgers, Axl, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, David Bowie. I think it was also Mick Ronson's last concert.

 

Ah, yeah, I think you are right, I heard that somewhere before about a phone call, slipped my mind.

Axl is my favorite front man of all time, but I'm voting Freddy number 1 in any list, one of a kind.

[RONIN]

I bet Elton hasn't seen or spoken to Axl since 1994. 

[MADDOGJONES]

5 minutes ago, RONIN said:

I bet Elton hasn't seen or spoken to Axl since 1994. 

I read something a while back about Axl playing some of CD for him, think over the phone, but it might have been BS. I can't find it now.

If they are not in contact you would have to think that was Elton's choice given how much Axl admires him, but who knows.