Rod Stewart and Elton John fall out ending decades of playful banter

For more than 50 years, Sir Elton John and Sir Rod Stewart have indulged in playful teasing as they vye over who is the most successful pop superstar.

They have even gave one another affectionate drag nicknames - the pianist and songwriter is called Sharon, while the rasping rock singer with Scottish roots has the sobriquet Phyllis.

However, their friendship appears to have soured beyond repair after Stewart criticised John’s three-year farewell retirement world tour as “money grabbing” and poked fun at the biopic about John’s life, Rocketman.

In an interview with Scottish radio, Sir Rod, 74, described the Rocketman film as “not very flattering” and failing to match the the movie about Freddie Mercury, called Bohemian Rhapsody.

He added: “I do love Elton, only we’re not talking at the moment. We’ve had a spat.”

Asked the cause of the dispute, he replied: “Because I criticised his tour as being money grabbing.”

That falling out could bring an end to five decades of professional rivalry that has become the stuff of rock ‘n’ roll legend.

The pair became friends in the 1970’s and their penchant for one upmanship became evident in Las Vegas when John spotted Stewart’s banner for his Blondes Have More Fun tour outside Caesar Palace. Not to be outdone, John put up a rival hoarding on the opposite building which read: ‘But Brunettes Make More Money.”

Stewart, famous for his bouffant hairstyle, exploited the theme by sending John a salon hairdryer to underline how noticeable his hair loss had become.

In 1983, they were interviewed together and both insisted they were “actually very good friends”.

However, the theory they were intensely professionally competitive was confirmed when John revealed: “We’re alright until we both get in the Top 10.”

In 1985, Stewart hired gigantic football-shaped balloons which were hoisted above Earl’s Court in London to promote his shows there. John promptly hired a sniper armed with an air rifle who shot them down.

He later wrote: “Apparently it landed on top of a double-decker bus and was last seen heading toward Putney.”

In 1998, Stewart was jealous when John became Sir Elton. He said: “Sharon’s been knighted. I don’t know why I haven’t .. I do my bit for charity.”

As super-rich pop stars, they have even tried to outdo one another with gifts. John bought the singer a bejewelled watch engraved ‘From Elt’ and then a Steinway piano for Stewart’s first wife.

Stewart later pondered “what do you get the man who has bought himself everything?” prompting John to suggest he buy him a Rembrandt painting.

When Stewart married Rachel Hunter, his third wife, John sent them a £10 gift voucher for Boots, writing in the card: “Get yourself something nice for the house.”

In 2016, Stewart upped the ante by claiming: “Our albums came out at more or less the same time and we have been comparing how the sales are … I’m winning.”

He explained how they text “back and forth - how many albums I’ve sold and how many albums he has sold.”

However, it is believed that John took exception to Stewart’s catty comments last year about the pianist’s farewell tour.

Appearing on an American television chat show, Sir Rod was asked for his thoughts about his rival’s retirement, to be marked with 300-concerts as part of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.

He replied: “I did email her [Sir Elton, now 72] and said, ‘What, again dear?’ And, I didn’t hear anything back.”

He criticised the tour because it “stinks of selling tickets” and is “not rock ’n’ roll.”

He added: “I’ve never spoken about retirement, and if I do retire, I won’t make an announcement. I’ll just fade away.”

Stewart later apologised. But his words may have been too barbed for Sir Elton to forgive and forget.