Overview
- On Monday, July 13, Jagger told Conan O’Brien that Lennon repeatedly advised him “you should never meet your heroes,” and he now calls his decision to follow that advice “really stupid.”
- Jagger’s anecdote invokes the Beatles’ single 1965 visit to Elvis’s Bel Air home, an encounter Lennon later described as underwhelming while Paul McCartney has recalled it as a “great evening.”
- The remark has been reported alongside coverage of The Rolling Stones’ current activity, including their 25th album Foreign Tongues, which was released earlier in July.
- Jagger said he wanted to preserve “his version” of Elvis rather than risk having it spoiled by a real meeting, though he acknowledged that his imagined Elvis might have differed from reality.
- The exchange highlights a long‑running piece of music‑world advice — that meeting idols can disappoint — and frames a personal regret for the 82‑year‑old now that both Lennon and Presley have died.