Sure, we all know rehab is for quitters, but notorious drug and alcohol addict Elton John says his mate Billy Joel needs some ‘tough love’ and has to go to rehab. Said one ‘Piano Man’ to the other, “[Billy] is going to hate me for this,” Elton said. “[But] at the end of the day, he’s coasting.”
The ‘Crocodile Rock’ singer said “Billy’s a conundrum we’ve had so many cancelled tours because of illnesses and various other things, alcoholism … I always say, ‘Billy, can’t you write another song?’ It’s either fear or laziness. It upsets me.” Elton argues that Billy needs to shape up or ship out, saying he needs proper rehab.
“Every time [Billy] goes to rehab, they’ve been light,” Elton told Rolling Stone. “When I went to rehab, I had to clean the floors. He goes to rehab where they have TVs … Billy, you’re not going to get rid of [your demons] at ‘rehab lite’. You’ve got to be serious. People adore you, they love you and respect you. You should be able to do something better than what you’re doing now.”
The Uptown Girl singer – who is long divorced from model Christie Brinkeley, whom he wrote the song about, has basically told Elton to piss off. He said in return “I’ve worked with Elton for such a long time and I’ve enjoyed our relationship too much to let something as random as these comments change my affection for him. Elton is just being Elton.”
We’ll see you at our next AA meeting Billy!
