Stephen Sanchez and Sir Elton John were due to duet on ‘I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues’ at Glastonbury until the rock legend changed his mind.
The 20-year-old singer/songwriter joined Elton, 76, during his headline slot at the Pyramid Stage at the world famous UK festival last Sunday (25.06.23) and performed his own hit ‘Until I Found You’ backed by his hero and his band.
Sanchez has now spilled that he and Elton had actually rehearsed his 1983 hit single until the pianist told Stephen he wanted to use the show to put his music in the spotlight after watching him perform at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.
In an interview with Rolling Stone UK, Sanchez said: “We’d spent weeks doing that and then he came to see me and the boys at The Troubadour.
“The week after, he just rang me and said, ‘Stephen, I’ve had a thought. I don’t want you to sing one of my songs. I think it would be far better if you sang your song and we gave you this big moment for you and your career.’
“I was just blown away by that selflessness and his desire to, you know, expose new artists and new music.”
During his incredible set, Elton was also joined by Gabriels on ‘Are You Ready For Love’, The Killers singer Brandon Flowers on ‘Tiny Dancer’ and Rina Sawayama, who took on Kiki Dee’s vocals on duet ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’.
Sanchez has praised the selflessness of Elton for using his Glastonbury headline slot to shine a light on new artists.
He said: “He knew what that would do for our careers and he knew that it would sit in the glory of being his last show in the UK. He wants to champion other artists and pass the torch, so to speak. It’s just amazing. It’s been a huge honour.
“When you’re on the Pyramid Stage and you hear all those voices screaming at you, it’s almost like they’re wrapping you up and it feels spiritual. It’s really, really wild, the visual memory of a sea of heads and faces and people with their own lives and memories.
“I’m still kind of beyond the clouds a bit.”