“Bowie made me competitive.”
Mick Jagger has peeled back the curtain on his legendary rivalries with David Bowie and John Lennon, revealing how each icon sparked a different kind of competition.
In a podcast interview with Conan O’Brien, the Rolling Stones frontman admitted Bowie’s relentless drive forced him to up his game.
“David was so competitive that I had to be competitive back,” Jagger confessed, recalling how Bowie’s Stones-inspired ‘Jean Genie’ era prompted him to accuse the late star of stealing his style; only for Bowie to call it a homage.
Meanwhile, Jagger’s dynamic with Lennon was wittier and more sarcastic, describing the Beatles legend as verbally razor-sharp with a “Liverpool thing” for picking up on stupid remarks.
Jagger also revealed he never met Elvis Presley, following Lennon’s advice that heroes should remain un-met.
The revelations come as the Stones release their 25th album, Foreign Tongues, featuring Paul McCartney and Robert Smith, proving the rock titans show no signs of slowing down.
