ELTON TAKES ON MARIAH IN A DIVA BATTLE

 

When it comes to diva behaviour, the king of piano-pop, Elton John, and the queen of extravagant vocal ranges, Mariah Carey, both take the cake and eat it too. From throwing hissy fits in front of the press, to questionable fashion choices to outrageous demands, these two infamous entertainers - both of whom perform in Calgary this week - are at the top of their game when it comes to acting like spoiled superstars.

"I think (Carey) may have been humbled a bit by her bad divorce from Tommy Mottola and her recent career missteps. She's mellowed a bit recently. But, Elton John is still doing interviews where he openly trashes people. He's not mellowing," says Tara Ariano, a Toronto-based celebrity pundit and co-founder of celebrity gossip website fametracker.com.

"Elton has been on top for some time. He's practically an elder statesman of rock and pop, so he gets more leeway to do his thing than younger people do. He's practically like Little Richard at this point." So, who is the biggest diva of them all? Let's look at the evidence:

 

ELTON JOHN

 

Career High: John had his career high in the '70s, when he had a string of critically and commercially successful albums and singles, including The b**ch is Back, Daniel, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me. His partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin grew into one of pop's most successful, and he packed arenas and stadiums around the world as pop's biggest star of the decade.

Career Low: Bad divorces and drug addictions are bound to bring you down. John divorced his German wife Renate Blauel in 1988 after only four years of marriage, and thereafter confirmed longstanding rumours it was a sham when he announced his homosexuality. Much of the '80s were devoid of the kind of hits of the previous decade, and in 1990 he checked himself in rehab to overcome numerous alcohol and drug addictions.

Comeback: In 1994, having endured personal and professional low points in the late '80s, John buddied up with Tim Rice to co-write songs for the Disney movie The Lion King. The song Can You Feel The Love Tonight won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and John was back on top. Ironically, it was the subsequent death of friend Diana, Princess of Wales, that helped transform him into a kind of elder musical statesman thanks to his reworked tribute song Candle in the Wind.

Hissy Fits: John is no stranger to the tantrum. When he isn't bad mouthing other pop stars, he's telling off the press. During a ceremony at this year's Cannes Film Festival, John got annoyed with photographers taking his picture, and Reuters reported that he stopped mid-speech and snapped: "I'm talking... You f---wit. F------ photographers you should be shot. You should be all shot. Thank you."

Spending Habits: John's spending habits are the stuff of legend. Court action once revealed he spent more than $600,000 on fresh cut flowers in 18 months, according to the BBC. The BBC also reported a debt financing plan of $40 million in 1999, which gave way to an admission that he rings up debts of $2 million a month. He accumulates clothing at such a rate he auctions it off for charity once a year - and the sales have brought in about $700,000.

 

MARIAH CAREY

 

Career High: Carey's time came in the early '90s with her self-titled debut album. She wowed crowds with her melismatic vocal performances, often hitting octaves unreachable to most pop singers of the time. In '93, she married Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, and the pair became music's ultimate power couple.

Career Low: Carey and Mottola separated in 1997 and a few years later Carey left Columbia records saying they "regarded her as a commodity". In the summer of 2001, she suffered a much publicized physical and emotional breakdown. In an attempt to regain some popularity, Carey starred in a semiautobiographical film called Glitter, which was a major bomb. Her popularity sank so low, her record company reportedly paid $28 million to get out of a contract with her.

Comeback: Many critics had written off Carey before last year's release of her album The Emancipation of Mimi. The CD became the surprise hit of the year, and the top-selling album of the year in the U.S. She apparently is back to her diva ways, as reports say she travels everywhere with a large entourage and, according to rumours, employs a personal assistant to ensure her skirts never touch the ground.

Hissy Fits: Carey once reportedly threatened to attack Cameron Diaz in a New York restaurant because Diaz had insulted her music in an interview. During the 2006 Grammys, Carey reportedly threw a fit because Madonna was asked to open the show instead of her. Then, after she lost the best album award to U2, Carey was said to have returned to her private room and refused to talk to anybody except close friends.

Spending Habits: Although Carey's personal finances have yet to hit court and make a big splash publically, there have always been rumours about her spending habits, including demands that lilies be placed in her toilet bowl. It's also been said that she keeps a personal hairdresser and makeup artist on hand at all times, to the tune of $7,200 a day, although that has never been confirmed.

 

(The Calgary Herald)

 

 

This article annoyed me a bit. The Mariah diva stories are usually made up - or confused with other Jennifer/Christina/Madonna stories which are also made up.

 

For example:

 

During the 2006 Grammys, Carey reportedly threw a fit because Madonna was asked to open the show instead of her.

Wasn't the story that Madonna demanded to go first to upstage Mariah?

That story's probably not true either but that was the version that was going around CC when Madonna and Mariah sparred.

Same publication did a negative review of her tour too :(

 

Calgary Herald is now on my hate list.

Hissy Fits: Carey once reportedly threatened to attack Cameron Diaz in a New York restaurant because Diaz had insulted her music in an interview.

No! The story was they were fighting over Matt Dillon. I'm very annoyed by this article.

 

They say 'allegedly' and 'reportedly' a lot to cover their arses but this is so negative and such lazy journalism.

Edited September 26, 200618 yr by Tim

i heard the same argument of who performed first, was at Live 8 between Madonna and Mariah

 

i have to say Madonna was better on the night though! Mariah seemed tired bless her :wub:

:rofl: @ the hate list

 

 

They don't really know what they are on about though, they have just made this up from speculation. They give the readers what they want to hear, not the truth, but I like Mariah's diva stories :lol:

I like Mariah's diva stories :lol:

I really don't.

It's the stories of her being a diva that put a lot of people off buying her records. The british public prefer people to be humble and talentless: Jade, Jordan, Chantelle.

 

How dare Mariah sell over 100 million records and demand things! What a b**ch! etc.

Jade got her t*** out on TV four years ago and everyone likes her because she's nice. It's bollocks.

Funnily enough my grandfather and I were discussing Elton John's love of flowers last week when I was there. :P

 

As for the Mariah stories, they obviously haven't bothered investigating the stories very well or we would have seen less use of the words "allegedly" and "reported". In any case, nothing to do with her musical output unless of course the lilies in the toilet bowl help her to sing? :smoke:

Elton - Filthy, arrogant, fat little grumpy old queen.

 

Mariah - FABULOUS.

Elton - Filthy, arrogant, fat little grumpy old queen.

 

Mariah - FABULOUS.

True on both counts.

 

I don't think you can compare Elton and Mariah's bad behaviour the way this article tries to.

 

Funny how there's never been footage of Mariah being a nob.

Yet they made a film about how Elton behaves.

 

Mariah never fled a country instead of performing a gig nor screamed that the press were 'rude vile pigs'.

 

Edited September 27, 200618 yr by Tim

:rofl: She did flee the country once though, after her divorce from Tommy she went to Jamacia!

 

 

But I have respect for both artists :D

:rofl: She did flee the country once though, after her divorce from Tommy she went to Jamacia!

But I have respect for both artists :D

That's different. Elton just had a strop not a divorce.

 

What did Mariah pull out of to go to Jamaica?

Her marrige :rofl:

 

 

Why did Elton flee the country because of a concert? :unsure:

Her marrige :rofl:

Why did Elton flee the country because of a concert? :unsure:

That's different. You're allowed to flee if your marriage breaks down :P

 

Elton famously had a gig on a world tour. It was on the continent but I can't remember which country. (Wikipedia may say - it was a big controversy). The day of the gig Elton flew home.

 

No-one knows why.

Elton - Filthy, arrogant, fat little grumpy old queen.

 

Mariah - FABULOUS.

The Queen has spoken. :cheer: :dance:

That's different. You're allowed to flee if your marriage breaks down :P

 

Elton famously had a gig on a world tour. It was on the continent but I can't remember which country. (Wikipedia may say - it was a big controversy). The day of the gig Elton flew home.

 

No-one knows why.

It was Korea wasn't it? :unsure:

 

The Queen has spoken. :cheer: :dance:

:D

Elton - Fat,Ugly,Annoying,Thinks he's it, tries to act like a parent figure to younger acts ..which is annoying, old, past it, smelly, short, weird ,wear glasses, not a diva, needs to go away little mad :kink:

Elton - Fat,Ugly,Annoying,Thinks he's it, tries to act like a parent figure to younger acts ..which is annoying, old, past it, smelly, short, weird ,wear glasses, not a diva, needs to go away little mad :kink:

Meow.

 

I agree that his best records were well over a decade ago.

And that he needs to mend his attitude.

I think he's overrated too to be honest. I can only think of a handful of his songs that I like. :mellow: