Listen to Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Joe Cocker and More Perform at Royal Albert Hall on This Day in 1988
Photo by D. Morrison/Express/Getty Music Features elton john
On this day in 1988, a group of musical legends performed at the Royal Albert Hall for The Prince’s Trust Rock Gala. The concert included Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, The Bee Gees, Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler, Rick Astley and more. The show raised over 48 million pounds for the charity. Some of the most notable performances included Elton John’s “I Don’t Want To Go On With You Like That,” Leonard Cohen’s “Tower of Song” and a cover of The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends” as the grand finale, led by Joe Cocker and featuring the entire lineup of musicians. The concert was broadcast on the King Biscuit Flower Hour in 1988 and was later released as a home video.
The annual charity concert began in 1982 and was first headlined by Status Quo. Between 1983 and 1987, the concerts featured artists like George Harrison, Tina Turner, Pete Townshend, Kate Bush, Bryan Adams and Madness. The Prince’s Trust was formed by the Prince of Wales in 1976 and has become a leading U.K. youth charity.
Listen to live recordings of Elton John, Leonard Cohen and Joe Cocker from this day in 1988 below.