John Lennon Admitted He Was ‘Scared' of This Rock Legend Despite Wanting to Work With Him
Despite being one of the most popular musicians of all time, John Lennon still had his own insecurities when it came to other stars. In a resurfaced interview, Lennon once admitted that he was 'scared' of Elvis Presley.
'[Bob] Dylan would be interesting because I think he made a great album in Blood on the Tracks, but I'm still not keen on the backings. I think I could produce him great. And Presley. I'd like to resurrect Elvis,' Lennon told Rolling Stone during a 1975 interview, when asked which musicians he'd most like to work with. 'But I'd be so scared of him I don't know whether I could do it. But I'd like to do it. Dylan, I could do, but Presley would make me nervous.'
He continued, 'But Dylan or Presley, somebody up there. I know what I'd do with Presley. Make a rock 'n' roll album. Dylan doesn't need material. I'd just make him some good backings. So if you're reading this Bob, you know….'
However, Lennon and Presley had previously crossed paths, and the 'Kentucky Rain' singer allegedly wasn't a fan of the Beatle due to his political stances.
'His dislike of the pacifist Beatle was born from the night I took the Fab Four to his house for their first — and last — meeting,' journalist Chris Hutchins, who introduced the two men, told the Daily Mail in 2011, per Express. '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.''
He continued, 'Presley allied himself with the FBI director Edgar Hoover and encouraged him to have Lennon thrown out of the US.'
Hutchins added that Lennon was vocal about his 'hatred' of President Lyndon B. Johnson because he 'raised the stakes in the Vietnam War.' Presley, on the other hand, was a supporter of Johnson and Lennon's opinion rubbed him the wrong way.
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John Lennon Admitted He Was 'Scared' of This Rock Legend Despite Wanting to Work With Him first appeared on Parade on Jul 14, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
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