Elton John and Madonna end decades-long feud: ‘Buried the hatchet’

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After a decades-long beef, Madonna and Elton John have “finally buried the hatchet.”

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The feud between the onetime friends stretches back to the early 2000s when John, 78, mocked the Queen of Pop’s theme for the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day.

“It hasn’t got a tune,” John told U.K. outlet Sky News in November 2002, calling the song, “the worst Bond tune ever.”

During his acceptance speech for his classic songwriter award at the 2004 Q Awards, John hit out at the Like a Virgin singer once again for her nod in the best live act category.

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“Madonna, best live act? F*** off. Since when has lip-syncing been live?” he said. “Sorry about that, but I think anyone who lip syncs in public on stage when you pay 75 quid to see them should be shot. Thank you very much.”

Then, during an interview with Australia’s Channel 7 program Sunday Night in 2012, John declared that her career was “over.”

“She’s such a nightmare. Her career is over, I can tell you that,” John said after she was booed in Paris while out on her MDNA concert trek. “Her tour is a disaster and it couldn’t happen to a bigger c***.”

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John then accused Madonna, 66, of being “so horrible to (Lady) Gaga” and criticized her attempts to stay relevant to younger music listeners.

“If Madonna had any common sense, she would have made a record like Ray of Light, stayed away from the dance stuff and just been a great pop singer and made great pop records, which she does brilliantly,” said John. “And she looks like a f***ing fairground stripper.”

In his 2019 memoir, John revisited their feud once again, blaming Madonna’s barbs at Lady Gaga, who she accused of copying her song Express Yourself, for his cutting comments.

“I couldn’t see why she was so ungracious and nasty about it, rather than taking it as a compliment … particularly when she claims to be a champion for women,” John wrote (per PEOPLE). “I think it’s just wrong — an established artist shouldn’t kick down a younger artist right at the start of their career.”

But following John’s performance on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, Madonna said “the wall between us fell down.”

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“We Finally Buried the Hatchet!!!” Madonna shared an Instagram post that showed the two embracing. “I went to see Elton John perform on SNL this weekend!! WOW.”

The seven-time Grammy winner recounted how she “snuck out of the house” to see John play when she was a teenager.

“Seeing him perform when I was in high school changed the course of my life,” she wrote. “I had always felt like an outsider growing up and watching him onstage helped me to understand that it was OK to be different – to stand out – to take the road less travelled by. In fact, it was essential.”

She acknowledged that it “hurt to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist” and that she “didn’t understand it.” 

When Madonna found out that John was the musical guest on SNL along with Brandi Carlile, she decided “to go backstage and confront him.”

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“The first thing out of his mouth was ‘Forgive Me’ and the wall between us fell down,” she wrote. “Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Within minutes. We were hugging. Then he told me had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate. It was like everything came full circle!!”

John shared her photo on his Instagram story, calling their meeting “a healing moment.”

The Rocket Man singer also commented on Madonna’s post and thanked her “for forgiving me and my big mouth.”

“I’m not proud of what I said,” he wrote. “Particularly when I think about all the groundbreaking work you have done as an artist – paving the way for an entire generation of female artists to succeed and be true to themselves … I’m grateful we can move forward.”

The Nikita crooner ended his message by saying he is “increasingly distressed by all the divisiveness in our world at the moment” and teased that the two could be collaborating in the near future.

“Both you and I have wholeheartedly been accepted and embraced by communities who are under threat around the world,” he said. “By pulling together, I’m hopeful that we can make great things happen for those who really need support. And have a lot of fun doing it!!”

mdaniell@postmedia.com

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