It was the most special moment of a night that was already magical enough, as Coldplay took the main stage at Glastonbury, the UK’s biggest festival. Chris Martin’s band was in the final moments of the concert, his fifth time as the band’s frontman. … A poster at the festival, when a special guest was announced: Hollywood actor Michael J. Fox, the 63-year-old Back to the Future star who was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease decades ago, took the stage in a wheelchair. Martin reserved two of the band’s most emotional songs for him: “Humankind” and “Fix You.”
Coldplay and the actor have a long-standing friendship. In fact, this wasn’t the first time they’d come together on stage. In July 2016 in New Jersey during another concert by the band and at the request of Chris Martin’s son Moses, Coldplay dared to perform rock classics like “Earth Angel” and “Johnny B. Goode,” the classic tune the character performs. Marty McFly, played by Foxx, plays with passion in his return to the 1950s in Robert Zemeckis’ film.
On that occasion, after the first chords, the band leader welcomed the hero of Back to the Future to the stage. After the show, several journalists asked Coldplay why they decided to do this collaboration. “The main reason we are in the band is the song Back to the Future. A big thank you to our eternal hero and one of the most wonderful people in the world, Mr. Michael J. Fox.”
After some time, Chris Martin realized that acting on the big screen was the thing that would define him forever. When Fox played a Chuck Berry song in the famous movie, it was the moment he decided he wanted to be in a band. He fondly recalled the moment they first shared the stage. “My number one, probably, was Michael J. Fox, who came over once and played a couple of Back to the Future songs with us… That was really cool,” he said. “He came over and did Johnny B. Goode and stuff, and it was amazing.”
Fox’s Parkinson’s disease, which he had suffered from since his youth, was not yet advanced at that time and he took the stage under his own power. There are many who are now concerned about the actor’s health. Since the Glastonbury show he had to be reached in a wheelchair. Of course, his current health condition did not prevent him from giving his all on stage.
“Travel junkie. Coffee lover. Incurable social media evangelist. Zombie maven.”