Singing a chill-inducing rendition of “Space Oddity” was Elton’s John’s way of paying respects to David Bowie.
People all over the world were heartbroken when they learned that Bowie had died from cancer on Sunday, January 10.
After performing the song to an audience of tearful fans at the Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theater, John said it was Bowie who helped him find the producers for his very first album.
In addition to praising Bowie for his character and music, he also applauded him for keeping his illness so private in an age where everything is shared online.
He then added: “He made two albums without anybody knowing he was making them. … And that is the mystique of the man, because we know David Bowie the figure, the singer, the outrageous performer, but actually, we don’t know anything about him — and that’s the way it should be in music and should be in any art form whatsoever.”
There wasn’t a dry eye in the theater.