Cliff Notes – Sir Elton John pays emotional tribute to ‘idol’ during rare appearance
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Sir Elton John honoured the late Brian Wilson at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, sharing personal stories and performing “God Only Knows” in tribute to his musical idol.
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Reflecting on their relationship, Sir Elton described Wilson as a “true genius” who significantly influenced his songwriting, expressing deep admiration for their collaborative history.
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The tribute included an In Memoriam montage featuring Wilson alongside other music legends, with Sir Elton emphasising Wilson’s lasting impact on pop music and his personal friendship with the artist.
Sir Elton John pays emotional tribute to ‘idol’ during rare appearance
Sir Elton John paid tribute to Brian Wilson at the weekend (Picture: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Sir Elton John paid tribute to the late great Beach Boys star Brian Wilson on Saturday night.
The Crocodile Rock singer, 78, was one of the many stars at theLos Angeles’ Peacock Theatre for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony this weekend.
As part of an on-stage tribute to Wilson, who died in June aged 82, Sir Elton shared stories and sang the Beach Boys’ major hit God Only Knows.
Sir Elton reminisced on the moment they met, revealing he was terrified to meet his idol: ‘We were scared s**tless 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.’
He also spoke about how they collaborated over the years, saying: ‘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.’
Brian Wilson was a founding member of the classic rock band The Beach Boys (Picture: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
The song was an emotive choice from the singer (Picture: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
The In Memoriam video montage also included Wilson as well as the likes of Sly Stone, Ozzy Osbourne, Marianne Faithfull and Roy Ayers.
Sir Elton also shared an image of the pair on social media with a caption that read: ‘@brianwilsonlive was a musical genius. He wrote timeless pop songs with the most complex melodies, unlike anything ever written before.
‘He was also a friend – and a great supporter from the very beginning of my journey as an artist. It was an honour to pay tribute to Brian at last night’s @rockhall ceremony.’
Chappell Roan also performed at the ceremony (Picture: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
(L-R) Raye and inductee Cyndi Lauper also performed onstage on the night (Picture: Amy Sussman/WireImage)
When Wilson died, Sir Elton paid tribute to the star with a lengthy post: ‘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.’
Wilson’s family announced his death in June 2025, after he had been living with a neurocognitive disorder.
It was reported in a death certificate seen by TMZ that he died from respiratory arrest. The certificate listed a series of other health issues Wilson was suffering from when he died, including sepsis and cystitis.
Other conditions reportedly listed were neurodegenerative disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, chronic respiratory failure and chronic kidney disease.
Alongside Sir Elton, other legends of the music industry paid tribute to Wilson, including Keith Richards, Sting, Ronnie Wood, and Bob Dylan.
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