Watch Elton John sing emotional 'God Only Knows' tribute to his idol Brian Wilson

10 November 2025, 12:51

Sir Elton John sang ‘God Only Knows’ at the 40th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony as a tribute to The Beach Boys star.

Sir Elton John sang a moving tribute to The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony this weekend.

The ‘Your Song’ star took to the stage on Saturday evening (November 8) to perform a rendition of one of Brian's band’s most beloved songs: ‘God Only Knows’.

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Before he sang, Sir Elton paid tribute to his friend by recalling how he and Bernie Taupin first met the trailblazing songwriter in the 70s.

Watch Sir Elton John's beautiful tribute to Brian Wilson here:

God Only Knows - Elton John - 40th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony - November 8, 2025

“We were scared s**tless because he was my idol,” Elton shared. “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 continued.

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Elton and Brian would go on to become good friends and musical collaborators.

“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,” Elton concluded his on-stage tribute.

Later via social media, Elton paid tribute to Brian again by writing alongside photos of him performing at the induction ceremony: “@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,” he added.

Saturday night’s event saw artists Cyndi Lauper, Joe Cocker, The White Stripes, Bad Company, Soundgarden, and Chubby Checker inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame’s performer category.

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Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon were inducted for musical influence, and Tom Bell, Nicky Hopkins and Carol Kaye were honoured for musical excellence.

Warner Records’ Lenny Waronker was awarded the Ahmet Ertegun Lifetime Achievement award for his work in the music industry.

Brian Wilson passed away in June 2025, aged 82.

His death was announced by his family, and tributes poured in from across the music industry from famous friends including Sir Elton, Sting, Ronnie Wood and Bob Dylan.