Conservative radio host and unapologetic homophobe Rush Limbaugh died yesterday after a battle with lung cancer. He was 70 years old.
Now, folx on Twitter are recalling the shock jock’s unusual friendship with singer Elton John. More specifically, they’re recalling that time John played at Limbaugh’s first second third fourth wedding for an exorbitant amount of money…
https://twitter.com/jefsecondmbv/status/1362109613512949761
https://twitter.com/DengismSakaiism/status/1362196775147167744
How about we take this to the next level?
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I just remembered Elton John performed at Rush Limbaugh’s wedding and gagged a little.
— Raven Vz (@blackedraven) February 18, 2021
something i always found interesting was that elton john accepted $1 million to perform at rush limbaugh’s wedding
— rach (@rachelbelllll) February 17, 2021
Lmfao Elton John and Rush Limbaugh were friends.
To rich people, class solidarity matters more than anything else
— Spironolactone Agnew (@SBElikeswords) February 18, 2021
https://twitter.com/D_Khunne/status/1351911940440936450
Not that I'm petty, but I've even refused to listen to Elton John since he played Rush Limbaugh's wedding.
— Gritty Stan Account (@cathymucklanski) February 17, 2021
Today I learned that Elton John performed at Rush Limbaugh's wedding in 2010, and, well, everybody truly does have a price.
— Guy Lodge (@GuyLodge) February 17, 2021
In 2010, John was purportedly paid $1 million to play at Limbaugh’s wedding reception, when he married professional party planner Kathryn Rogers, his fourth and final wife.
The event was held at the luxurious Breakers hotel in Palm Beach, Florida and was attended by 400 guests, including well-known homophobes Karl Rove, Sean Hannity, Clarence Thomas, and Rudy Guiliani.
In addition to being treated to an 80-minute musical set, guests received a copy of John’s greatest hits album to take home as a souvenir.
At the time, The Guardian reported:
Even more unexpectedly, Sir Elton’s million-dollar fee may have been a reduced rate. Last year, Reuters reported that the Candle In the Wind singer is the “second most expensive” wedding performer, charging more than $2m (£1.38m) for private gigs. Proceeds from these concerts go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Reduced rate or not, performing at Limbaugh’s wedding is an odd choice for the gay rights and AIDS activist. Limbaugh is one of the most maligned figures in American politics, loathed by the left, and has been accused of being both a homophobe and an AIDS denier.
Related: Rush Limbaugh gave “AIDS Updates,” listing the names of dead gay men set to disco music
John has only spoken a few times over the last decade about his friendship with Limbaugh. In 2012, he told USA Today that the radio host “sends me the loveliest emails.”
“What I get from Rush privately and what I get from Rush publicly are two different things,” he explained. “I’m just trying to break him down.”
And in 2014, he told The New York Times, “When it comes to people like Rush Limbaugh, or people who might enrage you sometimes, dialogue is the only way. You have to reach out.”
Clearly, that “dialogue” didn’t work since Limbaugh remained a bigot and homophobe up until the day he died.
John has not issued any statement on Limbaugh’s passing.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Gigi Gee
I remember being absolutely disgusted when I heard that Elton John performed at Rush’s wedding. It’s not like he needed the money. What a jerk!
Catholicslutbox
That’s not true. He needs the money to hire- I mean party with- belami models.
mg10
If it’s true, and all the money goes to charity, I don’t have a problem with Elton John taking 1 million of Rush Limbaugh’s cash and giving it to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
James
THAT IS SO STUPID. YOU THINK TAKING MONEY FROM ANTI GAY NEO NAZI TRASH AND GIVING IT TO A GOOD CAUSE MAKES IT OK. YOU OBVIOUSLY DON’T GIVE A CRAP ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ABUSED BY THE NEO NAZI SO WHO NEEDS YOUR STUPID EVIL MONEY. GET A LIFE.
Leash
Someone is having a bad day geez. IF its true that the whole million went straight to his AIDS foundation then I would agree with mg10. Taking a ridiculous amount of money from evildoers and doing something good with it? I think thats a very Robin Hood’esque thing to do.
In Germany there is a donation campaign “Rechts gegen Rechts” (i dont know how to properly translate that, basically: Rightwing people against rightwing people).
Every now and then there are demonstrations of neo-Nazis, e.g. so-called “funeral marches” for Nazis who died in World War II. These demonstrations are allowed under the guise of freedom of demonstration and expression, you can not prevent them.
Now “Rechts gegen Rechts” comes into play: For every meter the Nazis walk, fixed donations from companies and citizens go to e.g. EXIT-Germany (an organization that helps neo-Nazis to get out) or projects that work against neo-Nazis.
So basically the participants of those “demonstration” march against themselves. They even get a certificate at the end thanking them for their generous donation as the ultimate mockery.
According to your logic, I guess that would be a No-No, but I just think it’s clever.
Cam
Wealthy people and celebrities don’t seem to care unless something effects them directly.
Remember, Elton John spoke out AGAINST same sex marriage, he said that civil unions were fine and why were people making a big deal about it. It was only after he was refused an adoption by Ukraine because he wasn’t technically “Married” that he started to care about that issue.
So as long as Rush was nice to him personally, none of the rest mattered.
Same as when Melissa Ethridge was talking about what a nice guy the pastor from the saddleback church was. He was nice to HER, so why should she care that his church had been preaching hate and homophobia for years?
Same with Jodie Foster, she and Mel Gibson are friends so no matter what bigoted, anti-woman, racist thing Gibson says, Foster still defends him.
Elton got a bit of a wakeup call when he couldn’t adopt that child, but it still took something effecting him directly for him to care.
GlobeTrotter
You know, when I found out that a few people in my circle of friends supported Trump and his policies, I deleted them from my address book and have not spoken to them since. I even forbade them from saying my name…just in case it gets used in the same sentence with that abominable word “Trump”.
Was it an easy decision? Hell, no! But I’m able to sleep better at night knowing that whatever happens, at least I’m not a hypocrite. There will be no tolerance for intolerance as far as I’m concerned. If you decide to cuddle up to a misogynistic, homophobic, hate-filled purveyor of divisiveness and fear, then you and I can never be friends. You could be he sweetest, loveliest person on earth, you and I will never be holding hands singing kumbaya.
Which is why this report about Elton John disappoints me to no end. It just goes to prove that for many people, principles go flying through the window once the price is right. They are hypocrites.
darklight413
Some people would sell their soul for a buck. I lost respect for Elton over that.
nitejonboy
When are people going to wake up and realize that Elton John is a truly horrible person? I hope now ! Personally I put him right up there with Perez Hilton.as the worst pieces of Trash in the lgbtq community. Stop putting him on a pedestal people, he’s a waste of time!
James
ELTON JOHN IS AN IDIOT. NO WONDER MADONNA HATED HIM.
jorgecruz
Most people that are rich and/or famous turn into jerks. Money and fame rarely makes people nicer. Elton John just happened to be a bitch even before he became Rich and famous- he just got worse.
Charleshhhh
All the money went to AIDS charity and Elton John at the time, he thought it would be beneath him to given to petty divided politics. This is just people projecting today’s standards on something that happened in the past. You can’t drag today’s divisions into something that’s already happened. You can’t complain about something not being woke before woke was a thing. I’m sure by today’s standards he would’ve turned on the gig, but that wasn’t the concern back then. There was a time when people thought political differences should not affect how you interact with other people, despite what they’ve done. but none of this matters, all the money went to charity. Besides, Rush Limbaugh was considered a hypocrite for hiring a gay activist to perform at his wedding by conservatives at the time.
opiner
Once and for all PLEASE stop calling people who don’t support a “gay” lifestyle homophobes!!!!! Pass it on what a homophobe really is: afraid of a gay person!!!!!!!!
At least Elton John gets it; Rush had convictions against a “gay” lifestyle aka disagreeing with the lifestyle but Rush as many who have his stance have no problem with conversing with “gay” people!!!!!
It’s no different than people having convictions on not living together outside of marriage!!!! What do you call parents that dont support their kids living together outside of wedlock??? A phobia?!?!?!!!
Please think before you slander people who DISAGREE with your lifestyle!!!
Give Rush credit FOR ONCE for having compassion, a friendship with Elton despite disagreeing with Elton’s lifestyle. Elton as I said got it and it’s time you all slanderers do too! Agree to disagree!!!!!
As its been said, all Rush haters never debated, had any dialogue with Rush, instead it’s all hate and accuse. Nor did they listen to a full show of his! Many people who hated him then listened to his show changed their mind about Rush!
Elton had dialogue with Rush, even gave him that first chance of getting to know one another with Rush’s sincere invitation to perform! How about that too, Rush who disagreed with Elton’s lifestyle STILL loved Elton’s music!!!!! Is any of this sinking in to anyone!?!?
Rush, was for freedom; do what you want per se, but it doesn’t mean he has to agree with what you do!!!! Just like anyone not supporting a person about to steal another’s wallet!!!!! Is that a stealaphobe?!?! NO!!! It’s not supporting that lifestyle of stealing!
I hope I at least changed someone’s view as I have been sick and tired of the way “homophobe” is used!!!! Enough!!!!
Many can/should learn from Rush and Elton’s friendship!!! Elton and Rush sure did!!!!!!!!!!!!¡!
Elton and Rush are great examples of people that are genuine and we need more people like them! Amen for their friendship despite having differences!!!!