Sir Elton John delivered a heartfelt tribute to the late Brian Wilson at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, November 8th. The Crocodile Rock hitmaker performed the Beach Boys’ God Only Knows as part of a tribute to the singer, who died in June aged 82, and also shared his memories of his former friend, including how terrified he was when they met for the first time in Los Angeles.
Speaking on stage at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theatre, Elton said: “We were scared sh**less because he was my idol. He was the one who 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.”
The 78-year-old star highlighted how he and Brian became mates and collaborated on each other’s albums throughout the years.
He added: “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.” Elton then delivered an emotional rendition of the Beach Boys classic.
The memorial portion of the evening also featured a star-studded tribute to Sly Stone, which saw Stevie Wonder, Flea, Questlove, Jennifer Hudson, Beck, Leon Thomas and Maxwell perform a medley of tracks including Dance to the Music, Everyday People, Thank You and I Want To Take You Higher, whilst images of the soul legend were displayed in the background. The In Memoriam video montage also featured both Brian and Sly, as well as other notable figures such as Ozzy Osbourne, Marianne Faithfull and Roy Ayers.
Elton John paid a heartfelt tribute to his friend Brian, who passed away earlier this year, describing him as the “biggest influence of my songwriting ever.”
Posting a picture of them together on Instagram, he wrote: “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. He 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.”
