Whoever got knighted wearing shorts! Coldplay’s Chris Martin honours wheelchair-bound Glastonbury founder Sir Michael Eavis, 88, in touching on-stage tribute before inviting Michael J Fox to join him playing guitar on Fix You amid his Parkinson’s battle

Coldplay’s Chris Martin has honoured the wheelchair-bound Glastonbury founder Sir Michael Eavis in a touching on-stage tribute.

The popstar serenaded the 88-year-old telling the group he was a ‘dwelling, whole, 100 per cent legend’ and singing ‘we simply wish to thanks’.

After paying tribute to Sir Michael, the popstar invited Again to the Future star Michael J Fox, who’s battling Parkinson’s,to play the guitar through the tune Repair You and Humankind.

The 100,000-strong crowd and BBC viewers had been left in tears after the touching tribute to the 2 Michaels.

It was a milestone second for Coldplay, who made historical past by turning into the primary group to headline Glastonbury 5 occasions.

Frontman Chris Martin, 47, continued serenading Sir Michael, singing: ‘As people go you are the most effective of all types.

‘You are a musical charmer, you are the world’s best farmer. Whoever acquired knighted carrying shorts?

‘Thanks Michael, thanks for every thing, we love you, everyone loves you.’

The popstar then advised Sir Michael ‘hearken to this’ and paused to let the large crowd give a loud cheer to indicate their appreciation to the person who began the world-famous pageant.

Sir Michael remained sitting all through the tribute however he was beamed on the large display for all the group to see.

He began Glastonbury, then often known as the Pilton Pop People & Blues Pageant in 1970, and it might go on to develop into the most important greenfield pageant on the earth. 

He inherited his dad and mom’ 150-acre Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, in 1954, and determined to host a pageant there after being impressed by a 1969 Led Zeppelin efficiency on the Bathtub Pageant of Blues.

In April he was awarded a knighthood for providers to music and charity at Windsor Fort by the Princess Royal.

Though he did not have shorts on for the knighting ceremony, the dairy farmer is known for carrying them on most events. 

In an interview with the official Glastonbury web site on the time, Sir Michael stated his daughter Emily, with whom he runs the pageant, had introduced him the official letter about his knighthood, including: ‘I used to be actually shocked to see it, truly. Why did they select me, I ponder? 

‘What can I say, actually? I’ve finished various stuff in my life and I’ve at all times been pretty certain that I used to be doing the proper factor.’

Greenpeace, Oxfam and WaterAid all obtain donations from the pageant and the occasion goals to boost round £2 million per yr, which additionally helps tons of of native causes.

In 2023, the pageant donated greater than £3.7 million to a spread of charitable causes and campaigns together with homelessness organisation Centrepoint, meals redistributors Fareshare, a number of refugee charities and psychological well being charity Thoughts.

Earlier than receiving his knighthood, the farmer was made a CBE within the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2007.

He has additionally beforehand been politically lively and unsuccessfully stood as a candidate for the Labour Occasion in 1997.

After the tribute to Sir Michael, Chris Martin turned his consideration to Michael J Fox who he credited as being the ‘fundamental motive’ Coldplay are in a gaggle. 

He stated: ‘The primary motive why we’re in a band is due to watching ‘Again to the Future’, so thanks to our hero without end and some of the wonderful folks on Earth, Mr Michael J. Fox. Thanks a lot, Michael’. 

The British band made their debut on the iconic pageant within the New Bands Tent in 1999, earlier than headlining in 2002, 2005, 2011, and 2016. 

Chris sung: ‘Right here is one other legendary Michael, one who simply completely rocks, together with his chuck Berry quiff and the way in which he punched [Back To The Future villain] Biff, girls and Gentleman please welcome Michael J.Fox’.

The actor, who’s an avid musician and famously performed the guitar within the iconic 1985 sci-fi film, was first identified with early-onset Parkinson’s at simply 30 years of age in 1991, earlier than revealing the information publicly in 1998.

Parkinson’s illness is a situation through which components of the mind develop into progressively broken over a few years, in keeping with the NHS web site. 

The NHS says there are three main signs, together with tremors or shaking, slowness of motion and muscle stiffness. 

Two years after going public together with his prognosis, Michael created The Michael J. Fox Basis in 2000.

Since then, the inspiration – which he based together with his spouse of 36 years, Tracy Pollan – has raised over $2 billion for Parkinson’s analysis.

Viewers had been left in ‘tears’ following his shock look as he joined the group in a rendition of their hit Repair You. 

Taking to X, they stated: ‘Michael J Fox joined Coldplay on stage oh my god’: ‘I really like that Chris Martin from Coldplay introduced Michael J Fox on stage, love Coldplay’: ‘Coldplay rocking Glastonbury after which bringing out Michael J. Fox would be the neatest thing I see all yr’: ‘Michael J. Fox on stage with Coldplay at Glastonbury, nice to see’.

‘Coldplay, wow simply wow. What a present and Michael J. Fox, do not inform me you were not in tears’: ‘Blown away by the selfless perfomance by Coldplay at Glastonbury a celebration and reminder of hope in our world. Brining on Michael J Fox actually stunning’: ‘Michael J Fox bless his coronary heart on stage with Coldplay’.

The present was watched by a whopping crowd of 100,000 plus  together with Hollywood stars Tom Cruise, 61, Simon Pegg, 54, and Gillian Anderson, 55.

Viewers at residence had been left shocked by the massive viewers and branded it the pageant’s ‘largest ever’. 

Taking to X they stated:  ‘Largest crowd I’ve ever seen at glasto! Wonderful’: ‘What an insane crowd for Coldplay at Glastonbury’: ‘COLDPLAY not too shabby in any respect @GLASTONBURY humongous crowd’:’Wow! Take a look at that #Glasto crowd for #Coldplay’: ‘How superior does that crowd take a look at Glastonbury right here? Coldplay. Wonderful’.

Kicking off fifteen minutes late, the group opened their historic set with 2000 hit Yellow as the ocean of pageant goers joined in singing.

However some viewers at residence had been left annoyed by the delay and took to social media to make their emotions identified. 

Writing on X, previously Twitter: ‘You are working late lads. Put a shift in!’: ‘At all times late however definitely worth the wait’: ’10 minutes late FFS basic Coldplay’: ‘Coldplay late what’s new’: It truly is a Coldplay present if they’re late’.

Chris oozed confidence as he strutted about on stage alongside fellow band members Man Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and carried out a few of the group’s most well-known hits.

Nonetheless the historic present left followers divided with some viewers branding it ‘iconic’ and had been left in tears by the emotional tunes, others branded the present ‘boring’. 

Taking to X excited followers wrote:’OMG Coldplay are smashing it’: ‘Perfection’: ‘Coldplay are simply insane’: ‘Chris Martin by no means disappoints .. Coldplay are spectacular.. cannot cease singing’. ‘Coldplay are at all times unimaginable at Glastonbury, and the visuals this yr are beautiful’: ‘I am probably not certain how one can NOT be moved by this perfomance’: ‘What a ravishing second’: ‘Coldplay absolute class act, that is the way you headline’.

Whereas others bemoaned: ‘Coldplay simply meh actually aren’t they?’: ‘Usual factor. Completely boring’: ‘Coldplay. Once more. By a stretch probably the most boring efficiency I’ve seen at Glastonbury since their final one’: ‘I like Coldplay however they’ve finished each pageant for god is aware of how lengthy and it is a bit boring now, I am watching Disclosure as a substitute’: ‘Coldplay are extremely uninteresting. I am unable to work out how they made so large’.

They had been later joined by disabled pianist Victoria Canal, 25, who performed and likewise sung again up vocals for an unimaginable rendition of 2011 hit Paradise.

At one level Chris ran over and took Victoria’s face in his fingers clearly over include the emotion of the second. 

Victoria beforehand advised The Times how she was requested by the singer to affix them on stage through a shock video name. 

‘[Chris]  stated, “Hey, Victoria. Do you wish to play piano and sing with me on stage at Glastonbury?”.

‘I stated, “OK …? That sounds nice”. And so from that second on, I’ve been rehearsing and determining what I will put on on the most important stage ever.’ 

Frontman Chris beforehand predicted the band’s astronomical success the yr earlier than that they had even launched their first album.

On June 26, 1998, a then-22-year-old musician stood within the area of UCL’s Wye Farming School throughout his end-of-year ball and declared what the way forward for Coldplay, then only a yr outdated, could be.

He stated: ‘Jon Buckland, Chris Martin, Will Champion and Man Berryman Act of the Coldplay. They are going to go on to be such an enormous band. This will likely be on nationwide tv inside 4 years. 4 years.

By 26 June, 2002, Coldplay, the band, or no matter they’re referred to as then will likely be identified, simply throughout man. We will be so large.’

He completed: ‘Man, Will, John and Chris. Do not you neglect. Huge, completely large.’

The following yr they carried out at Glastonbury for the primary time. They headlined for the primary time simply three years after that.

Every of the members Chris named stayed on to see the band’s success, and so they added supervisor Phil Harvey alongside the way in which. 

Earlier this yr actor Michael spoke about outliving his authentic Parkinson’s prognosis, after medical doctors advised him in 1998 that they had been  ‘hopeful’ he could be ‘useful for no less than one other 10 years and possibly effectively into outdated age.’

Now greater than 25 years later, Michael- who hinted at popping out of performing retirement – remains to be thriving, revealing to People that he has at all times believed in himself.

‘What I believed then and what I consider now, I won’t put it in the identical phrases, however you are able to do something. Something,’ Fox stated.

‘You do not have to comply with different folks’s prognostications for what life goes to be. Life’s going to be what you make it,’ he continued.

His basis even made a breakthrough in 2023, with analysis funded by the inspiration discovering a biomarker that may decide if somebody has Parkinson’s earlier than signs come up, which Fox was extremely happy with.

‘It was one of many few occasions I cried about what we had been doing. We needed to discover a method that we will diagnose the illness earlier than the signs are there,’ he stated. 

‘As a result of then we may deal with it, and also you’d by no means have it. It was a giant break — and an important second,’ he admitted.