Throwback: Elton John sings 'Imagine' in Central Park
Elton honoured John Lennon three months before his death in New York, 1980.
Less than three months before John Lennon's tragic death in 1980, Elton John honoured him by singing 'Imagine' in Central Park.
"We're going to do a song written by a friend of mine who I haven't seen for a long time," Elton said to the crowd, who completely filled the park.
"It's a very beautiful song. You all know it. He only lives just over the road. He hasn't done a record in ages, but he's doing one at the moment."
The crowd was apparently made up of between 300,000 and 400,000 people, creating an incredible atmostphere for the concert. The crowd can be seen in its full glory around 5:03.
Elton John and John Lennon became close friends around the mid-70s. In fact, during a performance at Madison Square Garden in 1974, Elton managed to coax John onstage to sing a couple of songs. This ended up being his final public performance.
John Lennon walked away from public life around two years after the Madison Square Garden performance, so the singers didn't see each other often afterwards.
Emotionally, the timing of Elton's Central Park performance was perfect. The concluding lyrics of the song leave a powerful message following the tragic death of the Beatles singer:
"I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one"
RIP John Lennon.