Summary

• Michael J. Fox performs with Coldplay at Glastonbury, playing guitar and paying homage to Back to the Future.
• Coldplay's Chris Martin reveals the film inspired them to form a band.
• Fox's character famously plays on "Johnny B. Goode" on lead guitar by Chuck Berry in Back to the Future.

Michael J. Fox emanates Robert Zemeckis-directed feature remains one of the most beloved films of its decade. It spawned two sequels, with Back to the Future Part II in 1989 and Back to the Future Part III in 1990.

Now, a new video from BBC Music shows Fox performing with Coldplay in a Glastonbury concert.

The video starts with Coldplay's lead singer singing an emotional beginning to the band's classic song "Fix You." After the audience was invited to sing along to the first chorus, Fox is welcomed on stage. He is sitting in a wheelchair, and holds an electric guitar. As the audience s in for more "Fix You," Fox strums along to the song. In an emotional conclusion, Martin thanks Fox and reveals that Back to the Future inspired him and the other of Coldplay to form a band.

Fox's Back To The Future Legacy Explained

Fox Is Universally Beloved

Within the "Fix You" performance, there is a direct homage to Back to the Future wherein Martin starts singing the Chuck Berry song "Johnny B. Goode." This is a reference to one of Back to the Future's most iconic moments, wherein Marty McFly goes on stage to sing the classic hit during the 1955 dance. In the film, Marty holds a red electric guitar as he plays. Fox recalls that performance in the "Fix You," playing electric guitar again and offering an enthusiastic kick when the bass drops for the song.

While it is heartwarming to see a tribute to Back to the Future in this way from Fox, the performance is particularly heart-wrenching knowing the full context of Fox's career. Over a decade after the actor's huge role in Back to the Future, the actor announced in 1998 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The actor has continued to be open about his battle with the illness and started the Michael J. Fox Foundation to raise money for disease research.

Fox's philanthropic commitments in the wake of his Parkinson's diagnosis has made the actor even more beloved. The actor's journey with the disease was recently chronicled in the 2023 documentary film Still: A Michael J. Fox Story, which emphasized Fox's optimism in the face of his diagnosis. Fox's role as a philanthropic figure has made him even more of an iconic legend beyond Back to the Future, which is recognized by everyone from Coldplay to mainstream audiences.

Source: BBC Music