Date: 1 December 2006
Originally published in: Metro (UK)
Written by:
Eighties pop star Kim Wilde has launched a bitter attack against Sir Elton John, branding the Rocket Man “deluded” and “self-indulgent”.
The singer had a pop at Elton while she was speaking in Denmark where she was shooting a TV show, reports The Sun.
The 46-year-old said of Elton: “He’s deluded. The man has always been deluded. He’s lived a very unreal life for so many, many years with so much excess that he’s lost touch with some realities of life. He’s become a self-indulgent person.”
Kim added: “He should refer all his criticism to himself. I won’t abide tantrums on my children and I can’t bear them in an adult. It’s disgusting.”
However, the Kids In America singer conceded the chart-topper is a “great musician” although she said she’s “always been aware that he hasn’t written any lyrics himself”.
“You never get much of Elton, and I wonder if there’s very much to have,” she added.
Ouch!
Profile: Kim Wilde
Real Name: Kimberley Smith
Image: Sexy pop babe turned gardener
Birth Date: November 18, 1960
Best Known For: A string of hit singles in the 80s including Kids In America and You Keep Me Hangin’ On.
Early Life: Kim was born in Chiswick, London, to rock ‘n’ roller Marty Wilde and singer Joyce Baker, who performed with the The Vernons Girls.
Her family moved to Hertfordshire when she was child and Kim attended Presdales School in Ware.
By the time she was a teenager Kim was already keen on music and performing and it wasn’t a surprise to those who knew her when she landed a record deal with RAK Records in 1980. Less than a year later Kids In America rocketed to No 2 and Kim became a star.
She followed her early success with a string of hits throughout the 80s and early 90s (although she never had a UK No 1) and also managed to fit in a stint in West End musical Tommy in the mid 90s.
In the late 90s Kim’s early interest in gardening resurfaced and she became a designer for TV show Better Gardens. She has also penned gardening books.
Career High: The singer received the Best Female Vocalist Award from the British Phonographic Industry (now the Brits) in 1983.
Last year Kim scooped a Gold award for her garden at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show.
Love Life: As a twenty-something on the music scene, Kim was linked to a string of famous men like saxophonist Gary Barnacle and Calvin Hayes of Johnny Hates Jazz. She also dated TV star Chris Evans.
In 1996 she tied the knot with her Tommy co-star Hal Fowler. They had a son, Harry, two years later, and a daughter, Rose, in 2000.
Don’t Mention: The cheesy version of the festive classic Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree that Kim recorded with comedian Mel Smith in 1987.
Words of Wisdom: “I don’t take myself seriously any more. Sometimes I just garden in my knickers and platform shoes.”