Elton John has paid moving tribute to his friend and musical peer George Michael, also revealing the one song by the late superstar that he’s jealous of.
Sir Elton is presenting a special programme dedicated to George today on Beats1, including some of George’s finest hits, calling out one song in particular that Sir Elton admits he wishes he’d written himself.
“It’s going to start out with a song of his from the Faith album called ‘One More Try’ which if Aretha Franklin sang, it wouldn’t be any great surprise,” says Elton.
“I don’t get jealous of many songs, but I’m jealous of this song. I’d love to have written this.”
He is also looking back on some of their shared experiences right back from the 1980s, when George joined Elton in the echelons of pop royalty.
“I became friends with him very early on in Wham! and I remember I played at the last Wham! concert dressed as Ronald McDonald for some reason at Wembley Stadium and I bought him a 3-wheeler car, with him and Andy, and I put their names on the front of it and put some fairy dice it was a real clapped out thing,” remembers Elton.
“It was an amazing friendship based on music to start with, and I remember sitting in the car just off of Hyde Park listening to a cassette of ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’ and I said, ‘George, that’s the nearest record I’ve heard to a Motown record for years and years.’ It was such a great record, and he and I became great friends.”
In the programme, Sir Elton reflects on George’s talents as a songwriter and vocalist - “one of the best in the world” - but also talks about his kindness and generosity.
“[He] did it without wanting any publicity. I’ve seen him being so kind to so many people. I’ll miss him so much for his music but more than anything for his humanity, says Elton.
Elton John’s Rocket Hour show on Beats 1, today Tuesday 7 February at 2pm.
