Charlie Puth singing “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” in front of Elton John is so beautiful to watch
Picture this: Charlie Puth performing an Elton John classic right in front of the musical legend himself! Puth received a standing ovation from John after singing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" at the Gershwin Prize event celebrating John and his longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin. Hearing Puth tackle this 1974 piano ballad was truly eye-opening, as it differed greatly from his usual musical approach.
Readers of The Music Man will likely not be shocked that Puth delivered an exceptional performance, given his remarkable musical gifts. He remained faithful to the original composition while singing passionately, clearly demonstrating his deep admiration for the work of John and Taupin. His vocal quality suits John's songs perfectly, and it's difficult to imagine anyone delivering a more fitting tribute to honor the celebrated songwriting pair.
WETA National Productions shared Puth's Gershwin Prize performance on April 11, 2024, which has accumulated nearly 500,000 views. Viewers expressed tremendous appreciation for both Puth and John beneath the video, with comments like "Man, I got goosebumps from this. Charlie is truly one of the most talented artists of our time. Bravo!" and "Oh my gosh, I'm blown away! What a fantastic performance in honor of Elton and Bernie, and the icing on the cake, Elton's forever awesome band backing him up."
John first released "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" as a solo track in 1974, but The Music Man readers may remember its 1991 re-release as a duet with George Michael. Michael's sincere lead vocals during the first section truly elevated the song, with John joining to sing lead in the second half before their voices combined in a delightful duet.
John released "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" on May 24, 1974, as the main single from his eighth album Caribou. He created the song with Bernie Taupin, while Gus Dudgeon handled production duties. The original solo version reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. His 1991 collaboration with Michael achieved even greater success, reaching number one in both the UK and US.
