On Saturday night’s (11.08) the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Sir Elton John paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Brian Wilson.
Performing the Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’ as part of a tribute to the iconic California-born musician who passed away in June at the age of 82, the British superstar singer/songwriter also shared his memories of his former friend.
Addressing how nervous he was when they first met in LA many years back, John told the Peacock Theater audience:
“We were scared shitless because he was my idol. He was the one that influenced me more than anybody else when it came to writing songs on the piano. It was an evening we would never forget.” “Meeting someone who was a true genius doesn’t happen very often.” And adding how he and Wilson became friends and worked on each other’s records over the years, Elton said “We loved each other. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather pay tribute than Brian Wilson and his family with this incredible song.”
When Brian passed away earlier this year, John remembered his friend as the person who had the “biggest influence of my songwriting ever,” and sharing a photo of them together, he took to Instagram with:
“Brian Wilson was always so kind to me from the day I met him.” “He sang Someone Saved My Life Tonight at a tribute concert in 2003, and it was an extraordinary moment for me. played on his solo records, he sang on my album, The Union, and even performed for my AIDS Foundation.” “I grew to love him as a person, and for me, he was the biggest influence on my songwriting ever; he was a musical genius and revolutionary. He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music forever. A true giant.”
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: cashbox – public domain