Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Chris Martin, Robbie Williams perform for Shane Warne
Ed Sheeran paid an emotional tribute to his great mate Shane Warne, as fellow British popster Robbie Williams spoke of his regret after the former cricketer’s passing.
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The Warne family requested another rock star mate, Ed Sheeran – who often played private gigs in Warne’s famous ‘man cave’ basement bar when he was in Melbourne – perform the cricketer’s favourite song of his, Thinking Out Loud.
Sheeran introduced it be reminiscing about his buddy.
“Shane was an incredible human to me and every single person that he came across and I’ve just got such wonderful stories of him and people that he didn’t even know that have wonderful stories of him that he gave so much of his time and energy and love to,” Sheeran said.
“He was such a great bloke. And I’m honoured to be playing tonight.”
The pop star and cricket champion had been close pals since 2014, when Sheeran was in Australia to perform at the Logies.
The pair happened to be staying in adjoining rooms at Melbourne’s Crown and Warnie invited the British singer and his mates for a night out at his Club 23 nightspot in the entertainment precinct.
“I have three phones and he texts all three of them.”
Sheeran has paid tribute to Warne’s generosity of spirit, with the cricketer often offering to bowl a few in the nets to the music superstar’s family and friends.
British pop superstar Robbie Williams, about to head to Mebourne to begin the filming of his biopic Better Man with The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey, said he only crossed paths with Warne a few times but felt like he had known him a lifetime.
He dedicated a goosebump-inducing piano version of his hit Angels to the legend.
The song was sent from Switzerland this week where he was touring after a last-minute confirmation – he only agreed on Monday after Erica Packer, former wife of billionaire James, made the request.
“Before you meet him, you think he’s my mate. And then when you meet him, you know that he’s definitely your mate,” Williams said.
“He was kind, charismatic, funny, charming and a gentleman.
“And I was looking forward to spending more time with him, because you seldom come across that kind of energy with people, and easy company too.
“He was also a magician because when he was doing what he did so well on the field of play, you thought as the average man that’s exactly what I would do if I was in his position, but of course, we would never be in this position. We never will be because we don’t possess that kind of talent. That’s made for very few on the planet,” Williams said.
“He also had the abilities just by being himself to transcend tribalism. And rise above it. He played for Australia.
“He dismantled England too many times. Everybody on the planet who have seen him play and experienced – I don’t know – Warnie being Warnie, thinks he’s one of us.
“Very few people on the planet can do that.”
Earlier, as Australian TV broadcasting legend Ray Martin illuminated Shane’s Warne’s dedication to his foundation to help children suffering illness or injury, a beautiful piano and horns piece written by Coldplay’s Chris Martin played underneath the heartwarming images of the cricketer with his littlest fans.
Martin composed the piece called Eulogy which was played at the cricketer’s funeral earlier this month.
He then played the band’s breakthrough hit Yellow for his friend.
“I’m sorry we can’t be there today, we are on tour here in Central America, so we will sing a song for Shane,” Martin said.
“There’s a lot of background noise but I think that might be OK with him; I think chaos and Shane were good friends.”
Referencing the background crowing of a rooster, Martin joked the bird and his mate may have shared some qualities.
When Warne was on the 2016 season of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, he told his campmates how he and the Coldplay frontman became close friends.
Martin and Warne met in a hotel lift back in 2001.
“I’m in the Royal Garden Hotel, in the lift, it’s really late and I’ve got someone with me … and there’s about four or five people in the lift. I notice a guy in the corner – he also had someone – anyway, Chris turns around and says ‘Are you?’ and I say ‘Are you?’
“We went up to his room, we had a bit of a giggle and then we sat there and talked all night until the sun came up. We just clicked … and ever since then we’ve been good buddies.”
Rocker Jon Stevens and his band commanded the stage in the middle of the hallowed MCG to play some of the songs that were among Warnie’s favourites. He opened with the INXS power rock ballad Never Tear Us Apart and then ripped into the Noiseworks’ hit Take Me Back.
Earlier, Sir Elton John paid tribute to his great friend ahead of dedicating the poignant Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me to Warne’s children Brooke, Summer and Jackson with his band from their American tour.
“It’s sad day today but it’s not in other ways … because his legacy will live on,” John said.
“He loved to play cricket … and he loved life.”
He dedicated the performance to Warne’s children Jackson, Summer and Brooke, adding: “God bless you, Shane, God bless your family.”
John, renowned for his passion for sports, became close with Warne in the 90s and is reported to have played Cupid and introduced the loveable larrikin to his future fiancé actor Elizabeth Hurley at his Windsor home.
The couple started dating in December 2010 and made their red carpet debut at Johns’ annual fundraising White Tie and Tiara Ball six months later.
The Rocket Man once told the prodigiously talented sportsman if he could be anyone else in the world, it would be Warnie.
Warne’s memorial revealed him as a music fan of eclectic tastes, from Bruce Springsteen to Andrea Bocelli.
Anthony Callea - dressed in a silver sequined top emblazoned with Warne’s number 23 - was enlisted to perform Bocelli’s signature song The Prayer after the beautiful eulogies delivered by Warnie’s children Summer, Jackson and Brooke.
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Originally published as Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Chris Martin, Robbie Williams perform for Shane Warne
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