Star ‘moved to tears’ by heartbreaking performance

Elton John has been "moved to tears" after viewing a highly-emotional performance of one of his songs on America's Got Talent recently.

There was barely a dry eye in the room as contestant Archie Williams, who was falsely imprisoned for 37 years, delivered a soulful rendition of Johns' 1992 hit Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me on the reality show.

The spectacular cover earned Williams a standing ovation, guaranteed entry into the next round - and even a hug from notoriously gruff judge Simon Cowell.

Before he sang, Williams explained that in 1983, he was convicted of a rape he didn't commit, and despite forensic evidence and testimony to his innocence, he was convicted at age 22 and sentenced to life in prison.

The Innocence Project took on Williams' case in the 1990s, and a fingerprint analysis last year ultimately proved his innocence, allowing him to finally be released from prison in March 2019.

John, watching his performance from home, shared his emotional reaction online after watching the performance, describing Williams as "inspiring".

"I was moved to tears when I heard Archie's story and saw him perform Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," he wrote on Twitter.

"The courage and forgiveness shown by him is truly inspiring. The same spirit that the world found so inspiring with Nelson Mandela. Love, E xx," he added.

After Williams took the stage on America's Got Talent and shared his story, people flooded social media to share their emotional reactions - including Cowell himself.

Originally published as Star 'moved to tears' by heartbreaking performance