Elton John Recalls the Drag Names He Gave to Rod Stewart, Freddie Mercury & More

Elton John recalls the drag names he bestowed upon some of his most famous friends including Rod Stewart, Freddie Mercury and John Lennon.

Sir Elton delves into this topic in The Queer Bible, a new book due out June 15 made up of a number of essays from various queer celebrities including Tan France, Gus Kenworthy, Paris Lees, Russell Tovey and Munroe Bergdorf.

Rolling Stone published an excerpt from the book written by John who details his fandom of legendary drag queen Divine and drag culture, in general.

“When I came out as gay and met [my manager] John Reid, he had so many gay friends and employees it felt natural to give each other drag names,” writes John. “In a way, designating someone with a drag name was my way of telling them I loved them: drag is a communal sport – I like to get everyone involved.”

RELATED: Elton John Can’t Wait to Never Perform This Song Ever Again

He continued, “Tony became ‘Joy’ and I became ‘Sharon’, because I was so common. Rod Stewart was always ‘Phyllis’. Freddie Mercury became ‘Melina’ after Melina Mercouri, the Greek actress and singer. He was a real Melina, I can assure you. John Lennon became ‘Carol Dakota’ after his New York building, the Dakota.”

John even offered some advice on how to come up with your very own drag name.

“If you can’t think of the correct name, you go to the surname first and work it out from there,” he notes. “Not everyone gets a drag name. But all of my dearest friends are bequeathed with one.”

Elton John: His 40 Greatest Songs

Discover

Sponsor

spot_img

Latest

​New Judas Priest documentary announced, co-directed by Tom Morello 

A new Judas Priest documentary has been announced.The film is called The Ballad of Judas Priest and will be co-directed by Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello,...

The Kinks Drop Final 60th Anniversary Collection with Never-Before-Heard Concert Recordings 

On July 11, The Kinks will release The Journey – Part 3. This final piece of their 60th-anniversary series brings a fresh sound to old...

​Sleep Token’s ’Even in Arcadia’ debuts at #1 in UK & Australia 

Sleep Token is taking the world by storm with their new album, Even in Arcadia.The major-label debut from the enigmatic metal outfit launches at #1...

This Day in Top 40 History: May 16  

Since the inception of Top 40 radio, numerous events have occurred in music history on May 16 — chart achievements, cultural moments, and organizational...

Brenda Lee Honored At 8th Annual Nashville Songwriter Awards   

 Brenda Lee has been honored by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). Lee will be awarded with the NSAI President’s Keystone Award at the...