Rod Stewart on Elton John's Retirement: "It Stinks of Selling Tickets"

"It's not rock and roll," the singer says on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen

By Zach Johnson Mar 22, 2018 1:00 PMTags

Two months ago, Elton John announced his farewell tour—a 300-night event spanning three years, set to begin this fall. In just a few weeks, he'll release two cover albums and perform in a pre-taped CBS special with some of the biggest names in music, including Miley Cyrus and Keith Urban. So, when John's longtime friend Rod Stewart stopped by Bravo's Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen last night, the "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" rocker wanted to tease him a little.

The conversation began when a viewer called in to get his thoughts on John's retreat. "I did email her and said, 'What, again dear?'" Stewart responded. "And I didn't hear anything back!"

Unlike John, the 73-year-old rocker said, "I've never spoken about retirement, and if I do retire, I won't make an announcement. I'll just fade away." Stewart added that planning a farewell tour "stinks of selling tickets." Fellow guest Cyndi Lauper, who is touring with Stewart this summer, joked a fake retirement publicity stunt is "not a bad idea," saying, "We could say, 'For the last time, we are retiring.' And then one more time. 'Well...maybe the second to last time.'"

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"It's dishonest," Stewart said. "It's not rock and roll."

Stewart also addressed a recent incident in which John walked offstage because a fan repeatedly put his hands on the piano keys during "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," his closing number. "I sort of understand, because the person kept [tapping him]," he said. "I don't mind it. I love people coming up on stage. It's a laugh, but I can see why he was pissed off with it. I've had people come on stage while I was singing and I've nearly had me teeth knocked out."

John appeared on CBS' The Talk just hours before Stewart made his comments on on WWHL, where he discussed his plans for the farewell tour. Fans "can expect, probably, the best production they've ever seen from me," the 70-year-old singer said. "I think they can expect a retrospective of what my career has been like. It'll be happy and joyous, and poignant and sad."