Sir Elton John paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II while playing to thousands of fans, saying he was inspired by her and is sad she is gone.
“She led the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace and decency and genuine caring,” said Sir Elton at his final show in Toronto, Canada, on Thursday.
“I’m 75 and she's been with me all my life and I feel very sad that she won’t be with me anymore, but I’m glad she’s at peace," he said. "I’m glad she’s at rest and she deserves it. She worked hard.”
The singer-songwriter then performed his 1974 track Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.
Sir Elton was knighted by the queen in 1998, a year after the death of his close friend Princess Diana. Prince Charles also anointed the musician and charity patron as a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour last year.
His concert was the second of two nights at Toronto’s Rogers Centre and part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, billed as his final tour.
Following the queen's death on Thursday at the age of 96, several stars have paid tribute to her and seven-decade reign.
Harry Styles, 28, also paid tribute to the queen at his Thursday night concert at New York's Madison Square Garden.
The former One Direction star paused his show, telling the 20,000-strong audience he wanted to address "very sad news from my homeland".
He then said: "Please join me in a round of applause for 70 years of service."
Countless other British stars, including Helen Mirren, Victoria Beckham, Stephen Fry and Stella McCartney, have paid tribute to the monarch in recent days.
