Few things have such a huge impact on our lives and happiness as the friendships that we make and cherish throughout the years - no matter what life brings us.
So, in honor of this year's 2020 Oscars, we wanted to celebrate the recent reunion between two of the most talented men on the planet, Eminem and Sir Elton John. Despite Eminem's history of notoriously controversial lyrics, the artists have developed a sweet friendship lasting nearly two decades. It is obvious that the unlikely pair have remained close ever since their collaboration in 2001.
The rapper and pop legend have been open about their relationship and have made it through the darkest times together. It is clear that they will continue to support each other's journey and be friends for life! We are going to take a look back through the years at the surprising friendship between the two icons. Here are 15 sweet facts about their friendship.
Eminem has always been well known to work with many different artists across all genres, one of them being pop legend Sir Elton John. The pair started their friendship in 2001 during the rehearsal for their epic "Stan" performance at the Grammy's that year. During a phone interview between the artists on Interview magazine, Elton remembered that when he first saw Eminem in rehearsal, he got chills up his spine from Eminem's passion.
At the time Eminem was receiving considerable backlash for using homophobic lyrics in his music. He told MTV in 2004 "I didn’t know he [Elton] was gay. I didn’t know anything about his personal life. I didn’t really care......But being that he was gay and he had my back, I think it made a statement in itself saying that he understood where I was coming from."
The icons started their enduring friendship when they performed Eminem’s hit “Stan” at the 2001 Grammy Awards. Eminem appeared on stage along with Elton playing piano and singing the accompanying vocals to Eminem’s verses. It was a really big moment at the time, almost 20 years ago, when the pair seemed...unlikely.
Reuniting at the 2020 Oscars, almost 2 decades later. The rap superstar captioned next to a pic of the pair he tweeted."I got to see my Uncle Elton tonight at the Oscars. Congrats on your win too, Sir!" It is obvious they have had a supportive relationship that will stand the test of time!
In 2013, Eminem openly discussed his struggles in the documentary 'How To Make Money Selling Drugs'. During the peak of his addiction to prescription pills, the rap superstar revealed he almost overdosed in 2007. Elton John can obviously easily relate to his friend as he has had his own demons and overcame a cocaine addiction in the '90s.
It is important to always have a friend to lean on during hard times. Eminem recalled in an interview with The Guardian "When I first wanted to get sober, I called [Elton] and spoke to him about it... I reached out to him and told him, 'Look, I'm going through a problem and I need your advice."
In Eminem’s 2019 biography, “Not Afraid: The Evolution of Eminem,” he admits that before reaching out for help from Elton John he had relapses several times and nearly died of an overdose. The men grew very close through the recovery process, something John can relate to as he has now been clean for over 29 years.
In a popular phone interview between the "Rocket Man" singer and the rap legend in 2018, Elton goes on to reveal in the conversation that the pair call each other on the phone and have a good ol' chat from time to time. It is clear the pair like to stay in touch.
In an interview with Beat's 1 host Zane Lowe, the openly gay piano man said, "I listened to the whole of the Marshall Mathers album when I drove to a show in South Hampton and I was floored by it." That is not the first time the 72-year-old has complimented the rapper's music in an interview. It is safe to say that Elton is definitely a fan!
During an interview on The Graham Norton Show, Elton revealed that the "lose yourself" singer gifted him and his Canadian civil partner David Furnish an inappropriate diamond-encrusted toy presented on velvet cushions for the couple to enjoy. The pop icon jokingly added: “I have to say they have remained unused.”
They even ended their sweet phone interview for Interview magazine in the cutest way possible by Elton saying, "I’m just so proud of you. You’ve worked so hard on yourself, and no one deserves this more than you, Marshall, and I love you from a long way away, okay?" To which Eminem responds, "Thank you, Elton. I love you, too."
It cannot be easy living life in the limelight so we can see how the two became good friends over the course of their careers. In an interview with the Guardian in 2009, Eminem stated "He's [Elton] somebody who's in the business and can identify and relate to the lifestyle and how hectic things can be. He understands."
It is no secret that Eminem likes his privacy, he does not just take any brand endorsements coming his way or do interviews for just anyone for anything. So it is a true testament of their friendship that Eminem has allowed himself to be interviewed by Elton.
The pair still even bring each other up occasionally when they’re talking in interviews or to the press. They have mentioned each other several times in public over the course of the years. Every interview is supportive and fun, the icons definitely leave us entertained and wanting more every time!
The friendship between the Rocket Man and Slim Shady goes back for nearly 20 years now. There is nothing better than having a true friend in life that has helped you through all the lows and supported you through all the highs. We know this is a friendship that will last a lifetime!
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