Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Elton John honours Brian Wilson with a cover of ‘God Only Knows’

Posted On November 9, 2025November 9, 2025

Elton John took to the stage to perform a rendition of The Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’ as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2025’s tribute to principal songwriter Brian Wilson, who died in June.

Beforehand, John recounted the first time meeting Wilson in Los Angeles. “We were scared shitless because he was my idol,” he said. “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.”

He added further praise, “Meeting someone who was a true genius doesn’t happen very often”.

“We loved each other,” he said. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather pay tribute than Brian Wilson and his family with this incredible song”.

John reiterated his admiration for Wilson on social media, stating the former Beach Boy had the “biggest influence of my songwriting ever”.

“Brian Wilson was always so kind to me from the day I met him,” John explained in a caption for an Instagram post. “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”.

Wilson was one of a roll-call of tributes and memorials to some of music’s big names who had passed away recently. Stevie Wonder, Flea, Beck, and numerous others performed a medley of Sly Stone hits in honour of the Family Stone frontman, and the telecast made mentions to Ozzy Osbourne, Roy Ayers, and Marianne Faithfull, among others.

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