"In 1970 when I first came to Los Angeles, Danny Hutton from Three Dog Night took me and Bernie Taupin around to meet Brian Wilson - and I was scared shitless. Because he was my idol, my biggest influence when it came to writing songs on the piano."
"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. 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."
Elton John honored Brian Wilson with a vocal tribute at the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony, performing "God Only Knows" with Don Was on standup bass and drummer Kenny Aronoff. He recalled meeting Wilson in 1970 and described being "scared shitless" because Wilson was his idol and primary songwriting influence. Brian Wilson died on June 11, 2025, at age 82 and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 as a member of The Beach Boys. Elton previously posted a tribute on Instagram recalling Wilson's kindness, their collaborations, and calling Wilson a musical genius who reshaped songwriting and music.
Read at Consequence
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