By Martin Boulton
Shane Warne loved a good sing-a-long and stars of the music world played a major role in his state memorial service at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Bryan Adam’s hit song Summer of ’69, the year Warne was born, will surely get blasted on stereos around Australia in the days ahead, after it was revealed as one of the spin king’s favourite songs to sing. One of his daughters, Summer, spoke about how it was blaring from inside his car the last time she was him.
Songs by Bruce Sprinsgteen, the Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra also helped soundtrack the evening, while live performances from local stars Jon Stevens and Anthony Callea shone brightly in the darkened stadium.
Pre-recorded performances from friends Ed Sheeran, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Elton John and Robbie Williams highlighted Warne’s star power and the impact he made on some of the world’s biggest celebrities.
On the same surface where he captured his 700th wicket in the 2006/07 Boxing Day Test match, Warne’s family and friends were supported by the fans who marvelled at his cricketing prowess.
The centre wicket, where Warne took a famous Test hat-trick in 1994, was on display; a powerful reminder of the place where he conjured so much magic throughout his playing days.
A recorded musical performance by Sir Elton John is shown on the MCG scoreboards.Credit:Joe Armao
The re-naming of the Great Southern Stand as the Shane Warne Stand only heightened the magnitude of the occasion.
“For all of us to come and sit down at this ground for the rest of our lives and be able to say we’re sitting at dad’s stand forever, it’s pretty special,” Warne’s son, Jackson, said this week.
Elton John’s pre-recorded live version of Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me was among the early musical tributes, following spoken word tributes from Kylie Minogue and actor Hugh Jackman.
“He was mesmerising, he was brilliant and he loved life,” Elton John said about Warne, dedicating his performance to the cricket great’s family.
A multiple Grammy Awards nominee and six-time Grammy winner, the 75-year-old star released his debut solo album the year Warne was born and his 23rd studio album, The One, the same year the legendary spin king made his Test match debut.
“He was larger than life and so very human,” said friend and businessman James Packer, in a tribute delivered by master of ceremonies, Eddie McGuire.
A pre-recorded performance of a song called The Eulogy, by English musician and friend Chris Martin, was composed for piano by the Coldplay frontman. Martin also performed a pre-recorded acoustic version of Coldplay’s song Yellow, originally released on the band’s debut album Parachutes in 2000.
Former Noiseworks frontman Jon Stevens, who spent three years fronting INXS from 2000 to 2003, sang Never Tear Us Apart, which McGuire said was among Warne’s favourite songs. Joined on stage by a band that helped light up the night, Stevens also belted out the Noiseworks hit Take Me Back.
Jon Stevens performed live at the MCG.Credit:Getty Images
In another pre-recorded musical performance, English pop star Robbie Williams said Warne was “kind, charismatic, funny, charming and a gentleman.
“You seldom come across that kind of energy in people, and easy company too,” Williams said. “He also had the ability, just by being himself, to transcend tribalism, to rise above it ... Warnie being Warnie. There’s very few people on the planet who can do that. God bless you, Warnie.”
Williams was accompanied by a keyboard player for a heartfelt rendition of his 1997 song Angels.
Ed Sheeran, who returns to Australia early next year for a stadium tour, including two MCG
performances, sang Thinking Out Loud, another of Warne’s favourites, before Anthony Callea, accompanied by a string section, helped close the evening with a stunning version of The Prayer.
And there was a brief, cheerful blast of When The Saints Go Marching In, one of Warne’s all-time favourites, moments before his name was unveiled - and where it will forever be on display - in Melbourne’s sporting cathedral.
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From Elton to Ed, international and local stars join in musical tributes for spin king - Sydney Morning Herald
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