Their friendship status today is publicly unclear. Billy Joel has said Elton John’s public comments about his rehab hurt him and led to “bad blood for a little while.” Joel later spoke warmly about touring with John, but that recollection does not establish whether they have since reconciled—or what their private relationship is now.
A partnership built on touring and shared songs
Joel and John’s working relationship stretched back decades. Variety dates their first co-headlining stadium tour, known as the Face to Face tour, to 1994. Joel said he initially resented being compared with John, but came to embrace the comparisons as they performed together.
In a 2023 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Joel recalled that he “very much enjoy[ed] touring with Elton John.” He described the experience as feeling like joining something and said he missed playing John’s material, naming “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” and “The Bitch Is Back” as favorite songs to perform.
What caused the strain?
The reported rift centered on John’s comments about Joel’s rehabilitation. In a 2011 Rolling Stone interview, John characterized Joel’s rehab stays as “light” and presented his remarks as tough love. The Independent quoted John saying, “I love you, Billy, and this is tough love.”
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Joel revisited the episode in the second part of Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which premiered July 25, 2025. As reported by The Independent and Variety, Joel said John’s comment that he needed “real rehab” hurt him. Joel recalled feeling “clobbered,” called the moment “rock bottom,” and said, “And there was bad blood for a little while.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does that tell us about their relationship now?
Joel’s account establishes that the remarks caused a period of personal strain; it does not establish a permanent estrangement. His warm 2023 recollection shows that he valued their touring partnership and the chance to perform John’s songs, but it is not confirmation of a present-day reconciliation.
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The public material cited here documents both a consequential collaboration and a past rift. It does not confirm whether Joel and John are currently close, have made peace, or remain distant. Their private status today is therefore unconfirmed.
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