The Advice Mick Jagger Wishes He Never Took From This Fellow Rock ‘N’ Roll Icon

Even well-intentioned advice can sometimes miss the mark, and that might have been true of the recommendation John Lennon gave to his rock ‘n’ roll cohort Mick Jagger about another icon of their industry. Of course, as the only surviving member out of the three, it’s too late for Jagger to do anything about it now. Still, all these years later, Jagger still ponders what would’ve happened had he ignored Lennon.

According to The Rolling Stones frontman, Lennon once told him never to meet Elvis Presley. Lennon said it would only disappoint Jagger and that he was better off keeping his distance. “I remember John saying [mimicking Liverpudlian accent], ‘You should never meet your heroes. I’d never meet Elvis if I were you,’” Jagger remembered in a 2026 interview with Conan O’Brien. So, he didn’t.

“I took John’s advice,” Jagger said, “which is very stupid of me.” The singer said he would have loved to have met Elvis. But after Lennon told him his unpleasant Elvis story multiple times, Jagger believed his friend. Meeting Elvis was too risky. Jagger, just like Lennon, was massively influenced by Presley in his early years. If Jagger saw him up close, what would that do to his perception of the King?

It’s Not Surprising John Lennon Would Tell Mick Jagger to Steer Clear of Elvis Presley

Had John Lennon’s first meeting with Elvis Presley gone better, maybe he wouldn’t have been so inclined to tell his contemporary not to meet him. The Beatles met the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in an awkwardly stiff get-together orchestrated by Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, and journalist Chris Hutchins. By the time they met in 1965, The Beatles were riding high at the top of rock ‘n’ roll stardom, and Presley was floundering in a film career that was getting progressively staler.

The Beatles, who held “Jailhouse Blues”-era Presley in high regard, were disappointed by this version of their former idol. Presley, on the other hand, didn’t appreciate being challenged about his professional ventures by a group of musicians who started making music because of Presley in the first place. A jam session helped ease over the worst of the tensions. But overall, biographer Peter Guralnick described the affair as a “prickly mix of anger and disillusion.” As Lennon left Presley’s home, the Beatle reportedly said, “Where’s Elvis?”

In that context, it’s no wonder Lennon wanted to save Jagger the displeasure of experiencing that same disappointment. One could almost say Lennon was trying to do Jagger a favor. Of course, over 60 years later, hindsight is crystal-clear. “I’d love to have met Elvis,” Jagger said. “Why did I take John’s advice?”

“I didn’t want my version of Elvis shattered like John’s was,” Jagger said. But he added, “Maybe my version of Elvis would have been different.” 

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