Rick Astley recently graced the BBC Radio 2 Piano Room with covers of songs from Olivia Rodrigo and Ed Sheeran. During his performance, he also sang his 1987 hit ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ with a string melody of Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’.
For Rodrigo’s 2021 hit ‘Driver’s License’, Astley delivered a dramatic performance with a full orchestral arrangement and backing singers. The entire performance can be viewed on YouTube.
Astley is known for his love of covers and even formed a Smiths covers band with Blossoms. He once joined Blossoms on stage in London to deliver a number of Smiths covers before performing full gigs dedicated to the indie legends. Although former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr was unhappy about it at first, he later dealt with it after speaking with Blossoms, and Astley went on to perform with them at Glastonbury.
Astley told NME that he enjoys covers and isn’t afraid to be hung for it. He believes that he has nothing to lose since he is already 57 years old. In September 2021, he jokingly told the crowd that he likes playing other people’s songs while covering Foo Fighters’ ‘Everlong’.
Rick Astley’s covers of Olivia Rodrigo and Ed Sheeran’s songs can be viewed on YouTube
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