Elton John paid tribute to the late Brian Wilson at the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday night with a performance of “God Only Knows.”
Before singing, John described the first time he ever met Wilson, back in 1970 with his collaborator Bernie Taupin and Danny Hutton of Three Dog Night.
“We were scared shitless because he was my idol,” John said, “he was the one who influenced me more than anybody else when it came to writing songs on the piano and it was an evening we would never forget, meeting someone who was a true genius — doesn’t happen very often. Throughout my career and my life, Brian and I became friends and sang on each others records. We loved each other. I can’t think of anyone else who I’d rather pay tribute to than to Brian Wilson and his family with this beautiful song.”
John was joined by Kenny Aronoff on percussion, Don Was on bass, Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on piano and others.
When Did Brian Wilson Pass Away?
Wilson died back in June at the age of 82. He had been suffering from dementia in the final years of his life.
“Brian Wilson was always so kind to me from the day I met him,” John wrote on his social media following the news. “He sang ‘Someone Saved My Life Tonight’ at a tribute concert in 2003, and it was an extraordinary moment for me. I 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.”
2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Red Carpet Photo Gallery
Inductees, guest performers and more looking ready to rock.
Gallery Credit: Allison Rapp
