JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images(LONDON) — At 73, Elton John is one of the oldest artists who’s still scoring hit songs, but he gave a special salute to a guy who just topped the charts in his native U.K….at the age of 99.
Captain Tom Moore is a decorated British Army veteran who’ll turn 100 next week. On April 6, he decided to mark his birthday by raising a thousand pounds for the charities that support Britain’s National Health Service during the COVID-19 pandemic. He did this by staging a walkathon in his backyard: His goal was doing 100 laps of the yard, 10 laps per day, using a walker, by his 100th birthday.
“Tom’s 100th Birthday Walk For The NHS” reached its goal of a thousand pounds on April 10, and as of today, the stunt has raised close to 30 million pounds. Having hit 100 laps on April 16, Captain Tom plans to do a second 100.
On Friday, Captain Tom scored a number-one hit with a charity version of the standard “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” which he recorded with entertainer Michael Ball and The NHS Voices Of Care Choir. He’s now the oldest person ever to top the U.K. chart.
In an Instagram post, Elton wrote, “Congratulations on your Number 1 record. For a 99 year old that’s not too shabby!!”
He added, “Tom Moore is an amazing man with a huge heart. What he has raised for the NHS is phenomenal and has inspired me to join the legions of other British citizens contributing to his fundraising efforts. Captain Moore demonstrates a triumph of the human spirit and shows us all how one person can make a big difference.”
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