Aussie rocker Jimmy Barnes poses with Ed Sheeran as they pay tribute to late music mogul Michael Gudinski
On Wednesday, Ed Sheeran broke down in tears as he performed a song about his daughter Lyra at the funeral of late music mogul Michael Gudinski.
Two days later, fellow performer Jimmy Barnes shared a photo alongside the British crooner as they paid tribute to their friend.
Posting the picture to his Instagram, the 64-year-old wrote: ‘Ed Sheeran is genuinely one of the nicest guys I’ve met. A great artist too. It was a pleasure to share the stage again. I’m sure we will do it again soon.’
Tribute: Jimmy Barnes and Ed Sheeran paid tribute to the late Michael Gudinski
He added that the two men were holding one finger up in memory of Gudinski.
‘This is MG’s symbol. Always number 1. Enjoy your weekend,’ he concluded the caption.
On Wednesday night, Jimmy got on stage and described Gudinski as his ‘hero’ and ‘one-of-a-kind’ before dedicating his new song to him.
Meanwhile, Ed became visibly emotional as he performed his new song Visiting Hours at the Rod Laver Arena – stopping, before saying ‘sorry’ and returning to the microphone.
The A-Team hitmaker told the audience before his set: ‘I never get this nervous, I’m really f*****g nervous. So apologies if I mess up the lyrics or anything.’
The star revealed he had penned the song in quarantine.
The symbol: The late Michael Gudinski posing with his legendary ‘number one’ symbol
He said: ‘So I’m extremely, extremely grateful to be here. I know it’s a difficult thing to get into this country and I don’t take it for granted for all the hard work getting me here and I really, really just appreciated the opportunity to get here.
‘In lockdown I was able to have a guitar for quarantine I always find the best way to process stuff is to write songs, be it good news, bad news and here’s a song I finished last week.
Visiting Hours is said to be about Ed’s late grandfather Bill, who died in 2013 – and asking for advice on raising his and wife Cherry Seaborn’s baby girl Lyra, who was born in August.
In loving memory: Describing him as his ‘hero’ and ‘one-of-a-kind’, Jimmy Barnes also paid touching tribute to his late friend, before dedicating his new song to Michael
Brave: The British singer, 30, became visibly emotional as he sang new song Visiting Hours at the Rod Laver Arena – stopping, before saying ‘sorry’ and returning to the microphone
Ed sang: ‘I wish that heaven had visiting hours. So I could just show and bring the news that she’s getting older.
‘And I wish that you’d met her. I wish that you’d met her.
‘The things that she’d learn from me I got them all from you.
‘I wish that heaven had visiting hours.
‘So I could just swing by and ask your advice. What would you do in my situation?
‘I haven’t a clue how I’d raise them. What would you do cause you always do what’s right.
‘We just took a while until our worries disappeared. I’d tell you that I’m scared of turning out a failure.
Heartbreak: Ed sang: ‘I wish that heaven had visiting hours. So I could just show and bring the news that she’s getting older’
Ed also sat front row at the memorial alongside Gudinski’s grieving family, who were seen crying during the emotional ceremony.
He recounted meeting Gudinski for the first time in Melbourne, and said he appeared ‘very proper’ at first.
Everywhere he went, he just lit up the room and then f**ked off,’ he joked, after calling him a ‘tornado’ and a ‘barrel of laughs’.
Ed then performed one his his early hits, The A Team, which he said was one of Gudinski’s favourites from his stellar repertoire.
He said he was ‘grateful’ to have been given the opportunity to ‘say goodbye’ to Gudinski in person amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Close: Ed (right) is pictured with his close friend Michael in a social media snap