Ed Sheeran on James Blunt Joining Him on Stage: ‘Top 3 Favorite Moments on Stage Of All Time’

Ed Sheeran played countless shows, in countless cities, in front of countless screaming fans. So, when he says something is in his “top 3 favorite moments on stage of all time,” we know it’s a big deal. It’s no surprise these top 3 moments include James Blunt making an appearance during Sheeran’s show, making the audience and Ed himself absolutely lose it.  

Billboard reported that on Sheeran’s final show at Suffolk’s Portman Road Stadium, the “Shape of You” singer introduced the person who inspired him: James Blunt.   

Before introducing Blunt, Sheeran admitted, “I rarely get nervous at gigs. I do this so often. But I’m very nervous to sing this, because I’ve never sung it with him, and this really is a dream come true.”  

The duo performed Blunt’s 2004 hit “Goodbye My Lover,” with Blunt on keyboards and Sheeran on acoustic guitar. When the song ended, Sheeran confessed, “I’m quite emotional after that, actually. That is a top three favorite moment on stage ever. Ever.”  

In a lengthy post on Instagram, Sheeran shared how he and Blunt go way back. He wrote, “I saw @jamesblunt when I was 13 opening for @eltonjohn at Portman Road. I bought his album that day, then got obsessed. My dad took me to Cambridge Junction to see him months after, and he became my favourite singer-songwriter. His songs moulded me, his performing inspired me. I wanted to be him.”  

He added that he signed to the same management and record label because he wanted to be him: “I sometimes have to remind myself how much he means and meant to me, because we’ve been mates for well over a decade now. I’m godfather to his son. He’s one of my close mates.”  

Sheeran revealed that he asked Blunt to guest perform at Ipswich because it’s where he saw him perform first all those years ago: “And I asked him to sing my favourite songs of his tonight, because he, and the song, mean so much to me. Thank you James for coming today. I know you finished your South American tour two days ago, and you should be resting, but you flew to Ipswich to sing with me. And it meant the world.”  

He ended his caption with, “Don’t meet your heroes, unless your heroes are James Blunt. Love you mate.”