Decades-Long Feud Between Classic Rockers Began in Colorado

For roughly 40 years, a fierce feud saw two famous faces of Classic Rock take shots at each other in the press.

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While the feud was extremely public and well-known to those who followed the artists, it may come as a surprise to learn that the beef resulted from an incident that took place in Colorado.

Rockers' Feud Began in Colorado: The Origin Story

On July 20, 1975, the Rolling Stones were set to play a concert at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado. Despite already having two keyboardists on the payroll,  Billy Preston and Ian Stewart, the Stones invited Sir Elton John to join them for a rendition of their hit 'Honky Tonk Women.'

However, things got tense when, after performing the song with the band, Elton John decided to stay on stage for nine more songs. This bold move was later blamed on John's cocaine use at the time by the flamboyant pianist.

However, once it became apparent that the band wasn't pleased with John's decision to stay on stage, he left the stage. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done.

Rockers' Feud Began in Colorado: The Insults

The first insults following the incident came from Keith Richards, who initially called John a poser in the press, an insult that the pianist brushed off, but it was the jab made by Richards following John's decision to re-work his hit 'Candle in the Wind' following the death of his friend Princess Diana that really ignited the feud.

After Richards infamously called the song "Song for Dead Blondes," John struck back, calling Richards "pathetic," "a monkey with arthritis," and other disparaging titles, all in one interview.

Following the release of Richards' autobiography, in which he commented on a specific part of bandmate Mick Jagger's anatomy, John struck again, saying that he would never do something like that to his longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin.

Rockers' Feud Began in Colorado: The End of the Feud

The feud effectively ended after about four decades at the insistence of Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood when the two artists were both set to appear at the GQ Awards in London on September 8, 2015.

Read More: Some Claim that the Crowd ‘Wave’ Originated in Colorado

The two artists finally collaborated again musically with the release of two songs featuring Elton John that were released on the Rolling Stones' 2023 album Hackney Diamonds.

[Guitar Player]