Elton John dedicates song to Mac Miller in Allentown

During the first stop on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, the superstar paid tribute to the late rapper and Aretha Franklin, too

Sir Elton John kicked off his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour in – of all places – Allentown this past weekend at the PPL Center. He performed for more than three hours, diving deep into some of his greatest hits, including "Benny and the Jets," "Your Song," "Crocodile Rock," "Rocket Man," "Tiny Dancer," and many others. The show turned reflective, however, as he took a minute to dedicate “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” to recently deceased rapper, Mac Miller.


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"I'd like to dedicate this song to Mac Miller," he told the crowd. 

"Unbelievably, 26 years of age, and passed away yesterday. It's inconceivable that someone so young, and with so much talent, could do that. And I just would like to pass all of our love and best wishes to his loved ones, his family, his friends. And, Mac, wherever you are, I hope you're happy now.”

He also paid his respects to Aretha Franklin, who succumbed to pancreatic cancer on Aug. 16. He dedicated "Border Song" to Franklin, who he has called, "the greatest soul artist of all time." 

It was reported on Friday that Miller had died of an apparent drug overdose in his Los Angeles, Calif. home. His death has shocked the music community. 

Childish Gambino performed in Chicago, Ill. on Saturday and discussed his heartbreak over the news of Miller's death, dedicating "Riot" in Miller's honor. Rapper G-Eazy also spoke to a crowd in Tampa, Fla. on Friday about Miller's death, getting emotional as he performed "Everything Will Be OK."

"He's not allowed to really be dead," mentions Childish Gambino, "And we're not really allowed to be sad about this kid. He was so nice. He was the sweetest guy. He was so nice. And we were both internet music kids, and a lot of critics were like, ‘This corny white dude, this corny black dude,’ and we used to talk. And this kid, he just loved music.”


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