Elton John asks rockstars to clean up their image

Superstar entertainer Elton John wants American rockstars to trade their piercings and tattoos for the glam-rock look he and his contemporaries brought into style, he tells Fashion Rocks magazine.

John was famous for his flamboyant style when his career was riding high in the 1970s, which he says was meant to "give people a bit of fun."

"It's been a thing the British have always been very good at, with Bowie, myself, T.Rex, the Who, Queen...We all embraced that side of it," John says. "And I think it's good that some American bands are beginning to do that, but it's still very rare for bands to make a real effort. So when you get groups like The Killers and Scissor Sisters who come along, it's thrilling. I'm so over the tattoos and the t-shirts and rings through the noses. It's not pretty, it's not pleasant, it's not exciting. Please stop it now."

John is among the artists performing at the third Fashion Rocks concert Sept. 7 at Radio City Music Hall. The concert, which will benefit John's AIDS foundation, will be aired by CBS in a two-hour special the following night.