Sir Elton John sings at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 6, 1997 in London.
Anwar Hussein/GISir Elton John‘s performance of “Candle In The Wind 1997” at the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997 is largely considered to be one of the singer’s greatest performances. But a new report shows that the star was almost denied permission by the royal family to perform.
A set of newly released government papers from Britain’s National Archives, which were first reported on by Sky News, reveals that Buckingham Palace did not want John to perform his updated version of the song during the Princess of Wales’ funeral in 1997. According to the report, the royal household was concerned that the song was “too sentimental” for the event, with Westminster Abbey even going as far as to have a solo saxophonist on standby to perform a rendition of the song as a “very second best shot.”
However, the Dean of Westminster at the time, The Very Reverend Dr. Wesley Carr, appealed to the family, urging them to allow John to perform the song as a show of goodwill to the public. Carr argued that the performance would provide an “imaginative and generous” gesture to the grieving public, adding that the song was “all the time on the radio.” In a plea to keep the singer as part of the ceremony, Dr. Carr said that John’s music better represented what Diana meant to the rest of the world.
“This is a crucial point in the service and we would urge boldness. It is where the unexpected happens and something of the modern world that the princess represented,” he wrote in his note to Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Ross, a senior member of the royal household. “I respectfully suggest that anything classical or choral (even a popular classic such as something by Lloyd Webber) is inappropriate. Better would be the enclosed song by Elton John (known to millions and his music was enjoyed by the princess), which would be powerful.”
“Candle In the Wind 1997,” alternatively known as “Goodbye England’s Rose,” went on to become one of Elton John’s biggest hits in his extensive career. The updated version of his 1973 track (which was originally written about Marilyn Monroe) peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated Oct. 10, 1997, where it stayed for 14 weeks, making it John’s longest running No. 1 on the chart.
NEWS
David Lee Roth made an unexpected appearance at the Stagecoach Festival on Saturday evening, stepping onto the stage with Teddy Swims to perform “Jump,” the iconic 1984 hit by Van Halen.
During his Stagecoach set, Swims welcomed Roth after running through his recent single “Mr. Know It All” along with “Some Things I’ll Never Know,” both taken from his debut studio album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1), which arrived in September 2023.
This moment marked the third straight festival where the two have shared the stage. Swims previously invited Roth out during recent sets at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, where he introduced him as “David Lee Roth from the best band of all time, Van Halen,” before they kicked into “Jump” together.
The latest performance unfolded during a chaotic night at Stagecoach, as strong winds earlier in the evening led to a temporary evacuation of the grounds and forced several changes to the schedule, including removing artists such as Journey and Riley Green from the lineup.
The evacuation came after powerful gusts swept through the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, the site of the festival. An “emergency evacuation” notice appeared on screens across the venue, urging attendees to “move quickly and calmly to the nearest exit,” while alerts sent through the festival’s official app instructed people to clear the area.
The interruption impacted several stages, with the Mane Stage sitting between sets when the evacuation alert was issued. Wind conditions had been intensifying throughout the day, with stronger gusts arriving in the evening as part of a regional wind advisory.
Even with the disruption, Swims’ set ultimately continued, and Roth’s surprise appearance stood out as one of the biggest highlights of the night as fans returned once the festival resumed.
Stagecoach, one of the largest country music festivals in the United States, takes place every year at the same location as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and regularly draws tens of thousands of fans.
