Mick Jagger regrets skipping Elvis meeting on John Lennon's advice
Synopsis
Mick Jagger followed John Lennon’s advice and never met Elvis Presley — and he’s been regretting it ever since. Speaking on the Conan O’Brien podcast, the 82-year-old Rolling Stones frontman called the decision ‘really stupid,’ revealing he feared his idealised image of The King would be shattered, just as Lennon’s reportedly was after their own encounter.
Key Takeaways
Sir Mick Jagger revealed on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast that he regrets never meeting Elvis Presley .
John Lennon advised Jagger against the meeting, saying he himself had been disappointed by his interaction with Elvis.
Jagger, now 82 , called following Lennon’s advice ‘really stupid,’ adding he would have loved to have met Presley.
Jagger said he initially avoided the meeting to protect his own idealised ‘version’ of Elvis from being shattered.
The Rolling Stones frontman also recalled the band being labelled ‘bad,’ ‘dirty,’ and ‘scary’ and facing hostile audiences in both the US and England in the early 1960s .
Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger has revealed that he deeply regrets following John Lennon's counsel to avoid meeting Elvis Presley — a decision he now calls “really stupid.” The 82-year-old rock legend made the candid admission during a recent appearance on the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast, decades after the deaths of both Presley and Lennon.
What Lennon Told Jagger
Jagger recalled Lennon warning him off a potential encounter with The King, drawing from his own reportedly disillusioning meeting with Elvis. “I remember John telling me, ‘You should never meet your heroes. I would never meet Elvis, Mick, if I were you,’” Jagger recounted. “And so, I didn’t. I took John’s advice. It was really stupid of me, really. I’d love to have met Elvis.”
Jagger’s Version of Elvis
Jagger explained that his reluctance was also rooted in a desire to preserve his own idealised image of Presley. “I wanted to keep my Elvis to myself, my version of Elvis,” he said. “And so, I didn’t want my version of Elvis shattered like John’s was, but maybe my Elvis version would have been different.” The admission offers a rare glimpse into the complex hero-worship that existed even among the biggest names in rock history.
Rolling Stones’ Rocky Early Reception
Elsewhere in the conversation, Jagger reflected on the hostile reception the Rolling Stones faced when they first broke onto the scene. He described the band as being labelled “bad,” “dirty,” and “scary” by the media of the era, with audiences sharply divided. “People were really welcoming in most places. But there was a group that were really not welcoming,” he said. “It was very polarised in a kind of modern way.”
Hostile Reception in America
Jagger was particularly candid about the band’s early tours of the United States, noting that outside of New York and Los Angeles, the Stones were treated as outsiders. “Especially in the US, when we first went there, I’d say ’64, outside of New York and LA, we were like freaks for them,” he shared. He was careful to note that hostility was not uniquely American: “They were hostile in England, there was a lot of hostility, but America was not ready for this stuff. Really, they weren’t.”
A Candid Moment of Rock History
The podcast appearance underscores how the personal relationships — and missed connections — between the titans of 1960s rock continue to fascinate audiences. Jagger’s regret over never meeting Elvis stands as a rare ‘what if’ in music history, made more poignant by the fact that both Presley and Lennon are no longer alive. Whether Jagger’s version of Elvis would have survived the encounter, as he mused, remains one of rock’s great unanswered questions.
Point of View
Reportedly stemming from his own meeting with Presley, shaped a decision Jagger now considers a mistake. The irony is sharp: one legend’s disappointment cost another the chance of a lifetime encounter. It also raises a broader question about the mythology these artists built around each other — and how much of rock history was shaped not by music alone, but by the private counsel passed between its biggest names.
NationPress
15 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Mick Jagger regret not meeting Elvis Presley?
Mick Jagger regrets not meeting Elvis Presley because he followed John Lennon’s advice to avoid the encounter, a decision he now calls ‘really stupid.’ He revealed on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast that he would have loved to have met The King.
What advice did John Lennon give Mick Jagger about Elvis?
John Lennon advised Jagger never to meet his heroes, specifically saying he would not meet Elvis if he were Jagger. Lennon’s counsel was reportedly based on his own disappointing interaction with Presley.
Why did Mick Jagger initially choose not to meet Elvis on his own terms?
Beyond Lennon’s advice, Jagger said he wanted to preserve his own idealised image of Elvis and did not want it ‘shattered’ the way Lennon’s reportedly was. He later reflected that his own experience of meeting Elvis might have been different.
What did Mick Jagger say about the Rolling Stones’ early reception?
Jagger said the Rolling Stones were labelled ‘bad,’ ‘dirty,’ and ‘scary’ by the media when they started out. He noted that audiences were sharply divided and that the band faced hostility both in the United States and in England in the early 1960s.
Where did Mick Jagger make these revelations?
Jagger made these comments during a recent appearance on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, where he discussed his career, the Rolling Stones’ early years, and his regrets about never meeting Elvis Presley.
