My Morning Jacket Covers Elton John’s “Rocketman” At Love Rocks Benefit Concert

Singer, Jim James, of My Morning Jackets recently covered Elton John’s famed ballad, “Rocket Man”, for the Love Rocks NYC Benefit that took place Thursday March 9th at the Beacon Theatre on Upper Broadway. Originally founded in1985 to support those affected by the AIDS crisis in the 80s, further expanding to provide relief to those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic delivering over 3.2 million meals to more than 105,500 affected New York citizens.

In similar acoustic fashion as the original, James delivers a raw performance of “Rocket Man” with the support of a backing band and his own guitar chops. Capturing the original essence and tone of the song rather than trying to reinvent what was already made. James’s unique flare to the track being his deep, distinct rasp and vocal range, giving the audience the ability to enjoy the homage rather than be misguided by comparison. 

Backed by Love Rocks house band, members of the band include bassist Will Lee, guitarist Eric Krasno, multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell, keyboardists Paul Shaffer and Michael Bearden, and percussionist Pedrito Martinez. Along with the house band, James was also accompanied by the We Deliver Singers for backup vocals and God’s Love Horns. Along with the “Rocket Man” cover, James also performed his solo track’ “State Of The Art (A.E.I.O.U.)” found on his 2013 album, Regions of Light and Sound of God. Audiences were met with a bang and the high hopes for the following acts of that night.

Following James’s opening performance was a speech from the CEO of God’s Love We Deliver and a four hour long set list including the likes of singers Ledisi, Sheryl Crow, Warren Haynes, and more. This being the seventh annual benefit and raising over $3.5 million dollars for God’s Love We Deliver ensuring the initiative to feed vulnerable populations in NYC will continue. Guided by a community willing to show up for those in need and a star-studded line up of multiple Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members the night of the benefit has proven to be a success.