Elton John was thrilled to honour the late Brian Wilson amid the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony over the weekend.
At the music event staged at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday night, Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, The White Stripes, Joe Cocker, Warren Zevon, Salt-N-Pepa, and OutKast, were inducted as part of the class of 2025.
But during the spectacle, Elton surprised viewers by taking to the stage to perform an emotional rendition of The Beach Boys’ 1966 hit, God Only Knows, as part of a tribute to Brian.
The iconic frontman died at the age of 82 in June.
“@brianwilsonlive was a musical genius,” Elton wrote on Instagram after the show. “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.”
And before singing God Only Knows for the star-studded crowd, the Rocket Man hitmaker recalled the time he first met Brian in Los Angeles.
“We were scared s**tless 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,” the 78-year-old remembered. “Meeting someone who was a true genius doesn’t happen very often… We loved each other. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather pay tribute (to) than Brian Wilson and his family with this incredible song.”
Elton has made few public performances since he wrapped the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in 2023.
