Mick Jagger says he was 'really stupid' for not meeting Elvis after John Lennon's advice
Mick Jagger says he was 'really stupid' for not meeting Elvis after John Lennon's advice
George SimpsonSun, July 26, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTC
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Mick Jagger feels ‘really stupid' taking John Lennon's advice on Elvis meeting (Image: GETTY)
During the 1960s, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones shared a well-known rivalry, tempered by a degree of mutual admiration. In 1965, the Fab Four famously had the opportunity to meet their music icon Elvis Presley at his Los Angeles home.
Mick Jagger had been eager to do the same, but it was The Beatles' John Lennon who talked him out of it. The Rolling Stones frontman made the revelation during an interview with Conan O'Brien, reports the Daily Express.
The 82 year old told Conan, "I remember John telling me, 'You should never meet your heroes. I would never meet Elvis, Mick, if I were you.'" Elvis had been Lennon's rock n' roll idol growing up, and The Beatles were visibly nervous when they finally came face to face with him. Left virtually speechless before their hero, Elvis quipped that he'd have to call it a night if no one started talking. It comes after Riley Keough revealed what Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson had in common.
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The evening eventually ended with an impromptu jam session, though the group walked away feeling let down.
As noted in Peter Guralnick's Elvis biography, "Their response to Elvis was a prickly mix of anger and disillusion."
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Elvis met the Beatles once in 1965 (Image: GETTY)
Following the one-time gathering of the five music legends, Beatles press officer Tony Barrow remarked bluntly, "To be honest, I'd describe Elvis on that showing as a boring old fart. But I do know Ringo enjoyed his game of pool."
John Lennon and Mick Jagger had a famous rivalry (Image: GETTY)
Despite Lennon's warning, Jagger reflecte,: "It was really stupid of me, really. I'd love to have met Elvis... Maybe my Elvis version would have been different.."
The news comes as the book All You Need Is Love: The End of the Beatles (Unpublished, unvarnished and told by The Beatles and their inner circle) reported on another Jagger/Lennon interaction.
In a meeting between The Beatles and Mick Jagger, the Rolling Stones frontman was left "embarrassed" due to ongoing tension over Allen Klein, who managed both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
Peter Brown, personal assistant to Brian Epstein, senior executive at Apple Corps and John Lennon's best man at his wedding to Yoko Ono, facilitated the meeting.
Brown reflected, "I asked Mick Jagger to come over and explain to the four Beatles who this Allen Klein was. And John, in his wonderful way, had Klein turn up to the same meeting, which was deeply embarrassing. It made Mick very uncomfortable too."
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
