Little Big Town Rise With ‘Rocket Man’ During Elton John Tribute Event [Watch]
Little Big Town did Elton John proud with their cover of "Rocket Man" during the legend's tribute concert, Elton John: I'm Still Standing, on Tuesday (April 10).
The country group let their harmonies shine in their performance of the classic song from John's catalogue of hits, with Jimi Westbrook's voice glowing as he takes on the first verse singing "She packed my bags last night pre-flight / Zero hour nine AM / And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then / I miss the earth so much I miss my wife / It's lonely out in space / On such a timeless flight." Meanwhile, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman and Philip Sweet soared in the background with their haunting harmonies. Smoke poured over the stage as they added a personal, sobering touch to one of John's most legendary songs, earning themselves a standing ovation from the crowd.
The group paid tribute to John not only in music, but also in fashion, revealing in a pre-show interview that they intentionally tried to live up to the standards of John's history of extravagant outfits. They busted out the feathers, sequins, velvet and sashes for their own fabulous ensembles. "Everything that would honor him, we've tried to do tonight," Fairchild says.
LBT are among several other country acts who lent their voices to Revamp & Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin to celebrate the many hits John and longtime co-writer Taupin have created over their multi-decade careers. Their cover of "Rocket Man" has earned Taupin's approval: "Their take on it could have been very glee club-ish. And Frank Liddell's production just turned it on its ear," he tells Taste of Country Nights. "It's really spectacular."
The "Girl Crush" singers continue on their 2018 Breakers Tour with Kacey Musgraves and Midland through April 21 before hitting the road with Miranda Lambert on the co-headlining Bandwagon Tour that crosses the country July and August.
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