Elton John joined by Lady Gaga, Lizzo and Mariah Carey for coronavirus benefit concert from his living room
Sir Elton John and Lizzo: the friendship you didn’t know you needed to see (YouTube/Living Room Concert For America)
On Sunday Sir Elton John brought some of the biggest names in music for a virtual coronavirus benefit concert, all from the comfort of his own home.
His hour-long iHeart Living Room Concert For America saw performances from Billie Eilish, the Backstreet Boys, Alicia Keys, Shawn Mendes, Lizzo, Camila Cabello, Sam Smith, Demi Lovato and Mariah Carey (and most importantly, it gave us a glimpse into all their homes).
Abiding by coronavirus restrictions the A-listers performed from isolation, either on their sofas or in home studios, with the British pop legend hosting it all from his LA pad
As he found himself isolated in the only property he owns that doesn’t have a piano, Sir Elton John instead dug out his son’s keyboard for a rendition of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”.
He then delighted Lizzo and literally everyone else by singing an a capella snippet of her track “Juice”.
Adorably, the pair had nothing but praise for each other. “It’s been an amazing year and a half for you, and I’m so thrilled for you because I adore what you do,” John told Lizzo.
“You’re so authentic. You just go out there and do it. You bring people together… I’m so proud of you.”
Looking dazzling in sparkly pink Elton-esque glasses, Lizzo threw complements straight back, praising his work as a reminder that it’s important to find joy in music, family and friendship during social isolation.
“You really got a point about bringing people together. As artists, we’re able to do that even when you can’t physically be there,” she said.
“Your music has been with me my entire life. You always brought me closer to my family. I think we can learn from that and continue to bring people together through music.”
Lady Gaga dropped by with some reassuring words for her fans “during this scary time”.
“My heart goes out to people who have lost loved ones, and also to people who are losing their jobs. I just wanted to check in to make sure that you’re finding the time to be kind to yourself, doing whatever you can to maintain your mental health,” she said.
“Social distancing isn’t easy, but try to chat with your friends remotely. Use your body, meditate the you can, and otherwise try to find joy wherever you can.”
Meanwhile Mariah Carey dialed in from her at-home recording studio in New York to sing her 1995 hit “Always Be My Baby”, roping in her producer to play the keyboard and three backup singers as well, just for good measure.
“This is not easy to do by yourself,” she told viewers.
Other highlights included Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas’ acoustic rendition of “Bad Guy”, and Alicia Keys performing “Underdog” on her purple piano.
All proceeds will go to two US charities working towards the coronavirus relief effort.
Protect @billieeilish and @finneas at all costs.
Watch the entire #iHeartConcertOnFOX here: https://t.co/rmszDqytnV pic.twitter.com/Xb9Y4YvWch— FOX (@FOXTV) March 30, 2020
