Elton ‘was in tears’ at Aretha’s final public appearance

ELTON John said he stood by the stage and sobbed at his foundation’s gala last year as Aretha Franklin made her final public performance. ‘I was shocked to see how thin she was,’ he said at this year’s Elton John AIDS Foundation Gala. ‘She just smiled her sweet smile at me and said, “I didn’t want to let you down”.’

Elton said Ms Franklin, who died aged 76 in August, ‘gave us one of the greatest performances of our lifetime’. From the podium, he also acknowledged 92year-old Tony Bennett, who was in the audience at Monday night’s Alist affair, as another inspirational singer.

‘Artists like that don’t come around that often,’ said Elton, pictured. ‘They are dying out, and it’s such a shame because there’s no one to replace them.’

The gala raised $3.9million for the foundation, which was launched in 1992.

Meanwhile, Elton, 71, called on Americans to help all people feel included as ‘we live in perilous times’.

‘There should be no difference between the colour of your skin, the religion you choose or your political party,’ Elton said at the New York City gala event. ‘We have to come together and embrace each other.’

Speaking on the red carpet, the legendary singer also said he was particularly disturbed by attacks on the transgender community in recent years. ‘That doesn’t sit very well with me,’ the Englishman said. ‘People who want to be transgender should have their own rights.’

David Furnish, Elton’s husband, drew parallels with discrimination towards Aids victims during the early day of the HIV epidemic. ‘We like everybody to be treated with kindness and compassion,’ he said. ‘You have to bring everybody along for the ride.’

Elton’s foundation helps raise money for Aids prevention programmes and campaigns to end stigma, as well as providing treatment, care and support services for people living with the disease.