Posted on 10/28/2003 3:30:45 AM PST by ejdrapes
Rod Stewart broke an unwritten rule for rock stars yesterday. He promoted Tonight's The Night, a musical that is expected to earn him a fortune, by mocking three of his bigger-earning contemporaries. The 58-year-old with the rooster haircut, still noted as the pop world's "naughty boy", ridiculed Sir Paul McCartney for "his wonderful little honour", shrugged off Sir Elton John as a "miserable bugger" and dismissed Sting for his goody-goody image. He called the former lead singer of The Police "Mr Serious who helps the Indians" - a reference to Sting's Rainforest Foundation, which he founded with his wife Trudie Styler to publicise the plight of the inhabitants of the Brazilian interior. The singer's outburst - some in the business have voiced similar thoughts, but in private - came in the latest interview to publicise the musical that is expected to be as big a money-spinner in London as We Will Rock You is for members of the rock group Queen. Arnold Stiefel, Stewart's manager since 1982, is a co-producer, with Phil McIntyre, the pop promoter turned impresario, who with Robert de Niro, created the Queen spectacular. Stiefel skilfully orchestrated Stewart's surprise return to the charts last year with As Time Goes By. Stewart said: "Arnold's been loyal and straight with me, and I believe in repaying loyalty in kind." The new show, which is costing £5 million to stage at the Victoria Palace Theatre, will feature 22 Stewart songs, including Sailing, Maggie May and Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? Stewart started to push the musical early, appearing at a rehearsal, calling it "astounding" and leading a standing ovation for the cast. He said that he had no interest in writing the piece from scratch like Sir Elton or Randy Newman. He said: "I don't have the patience for that." Then, last week, he upped the publicity by moaning to a tabloid about the fact that his estranged wife Rachel Hunter, who walked out on him four years ago, would be eligible to a mighty chunk of his estimated £130 million fortune if he divorced her. Now, in the most obvious effort to boost the new show's chances, Stewart has let fly to the Radio Times. The singer complained that his media image as a Jack-the-Lad with a string of blondes on his arm was wrong. Referring to his current girlfriend, Penny Lancaster, 32 (who recently said that she had once called him "Daddy"), he said: "I'm not upset by what people say, except when it's personal. "What pisses me off is they never have a go at Paul McCartney for marrying a younger woman. "He's 60 and Heather is 34, but they kill me because of Penny. Perhaps it's because he has a knighthood, a wonderful little honour to be bestowed on one." Slapping down Sir Elton he called him "Sharon", saying "she's" been knighted. "She doesn't invite me to any of her dos, the miserable bugger. Perhaps she doesn't want competition. My hair is nice and real and looks it, and hers doesn't. No, I take that back. He looks good at the moment, but he could lose a bit of timber." The London-born singer, who has sold more than 100 million albums, added: "I don't know why I haven't got any honour. I do my bit for charity." He said it was "astounding" that he had never won a Grammy, America's most prized musical awards. "They tend not to give it to the British unless you're Sting. "The sun shines out of his arse, a pure jazz musician, Mr Serious who helps the Indians."Do ya think I'm bitchy?
How delightfully catty.
Love the crack about Sting.
Whew, am I old or what?
Anybody that says this about Sting is OK in my book! Sting is quite self-ritious - Rod has pointed this out.
I like all their music, but don't care for any of them personally, with the possible exception of Paul, and that goes back to the beginnings of the Beatles.
I like all their music, but don't care for any of them personally, with the possible exception of Paul, and that goes back to the beginnings of the Beatles.
I'll second that opinion! Played it over and over again when it first came out. Need to go out and get another copy, thanks for reminding me. Want to hear the drums on the title track again (not written by Stewart, incidentally) and remember those boulevard nights.
Yep, you and me both - becoming classics, if we're lucky!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.