Elvis Presley and the Beatles were among the most impactful figures in music during the 20th century. That is not an overstatement from someone who admittedly likes them both very much. They inarguably changed the face of contemporary music forever. They were bold and daring, refusing to do the same thing over and over until it got stale just to make money and placate their fans. You would assume that even though they came from different places on the musical spectrum that they would at least have a baseline respect for each other. That reportedly was not the case. Word has it that Elvis thoroughly disliked John Lennon.
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Why?
Elvis Presley Met With The Beatles At His Home, Graceland, In 1965
It Was Not A Very Successful Get-Together
Per Showbiz Cheat Sheet via Express, a journalist named Chris Hutchins claimed that the meeting of music titans went awry over politics.
Hutchins said, "John had annoyed Presley by making his anti-war feelings known the moment he stepped into the massive lounge and spotted the table lamps - model wagons engraved with the message 'All the way with LBJ. Lennon hated President Lyndon B Johnson for raising the stakes in the Vietnam War ... As we left and were walking down the drive, [Colonel Tom] Parker [Elvis's manager] called out after me: 'Tell the fans it was a wonderful night'. John turned to me and said: 'Tell them it was crap.'"
Elvis Seemingly Never Let His Negative Feelings About John Lennon Go
He Reportedly Flew 'Into A Rage' Anytime Lennon's Name Came Up
Lennon must have made an awful impression on Elvis. The King of Rock & Roll would supposedly fume at the mere mention of Lennon's name. He was known for his explosive outbursts in general. It has even been said that Elvis allegedly fired a gun at the TV if he saw something that rubbed him the wrong way.
Elvis Was Allegedly Wary Of The Influx Of British Rock 'n' Rollers
He Worried About Being Nudged To The Sidelines
According to his former wife, Priscilla, in a book titled Elvis by the Presleys via Showbiz Cheat Sheet, "He viewed this whole world of music coming from England — The Beatles, the Stones, and the Dave Clark Five — with tremendous interest and, I suppose, some trepidation. He acknowledged their talent and energy — he told me on many occasions — but he worried about losing popularity. And in 1965, no one was more popular than The Beatles ... The fact that Elvis greeted them with studied casualness didn't mean he didn't care. He did. He was simply affirming his role as Original King."
