4 Great Songs by Famous Artists I Bet You Didn’t Know Featured a Guest Appearance by Elton John

Here’s wishing a very Happy Birthday to Elton John, who turned 79 on March 25. Few other artists have enjoyed as much success as the beloved British singer-songwriter and piano player has.

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Elton has enjoyed multiple chart-topping albums and singles. He’s been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Elton also is among the few dozen entertainers who have achieved the EGOT; that is, he’s won at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. And that’s really just the tip of the iceberg for the pop-rock icon.

[RELATED: The Incredible True Story Behind Elton John’s Decades-Long Partnership With Bernie Taupin]

Besides his prolific work as a solo artist, John has frequently collaborated with other famous musicians. Some of these collaborations probably have gone under the radar of many fans, particularly early in his career, when he did a lot of work as a session musician.

In honor of Elton’s birthday, here’s a look at four songs by fellow music stars you may not have known featured John:

“Delilah” – Tom Jones (1968)

Welsh pop heartthrob Tom Jones scored a big hit in 1968 with “Delilah,” a dramatic, horn-driven ballad. The song, which was co-written by Les Reed and Barry Mason, was sung from the perspective of a man who murders his unfaithful lover. Reed also had co-written Jones’ 1965 breakthrough hit “It’s Not Unusual.”

Elton was one of the session singers who contributed backing vocals during the chorus of the song.

“Delilah” reached No. 2 on the U.K. singles chart, and No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” – The Hollies (1969)

British Invasion band The Hollies scored their final hit of the 1960s with a cover of the ballad emotional ballad “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.”

The tune was co-written by veteran songwriters Bob Russell and Bobby Scott, and originally recorded by American singer-songwriter and producer Kelly Gordon.

The Hollies released their version as a single in September 1969, and the song peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 in the U.K.

John played piano on the track. According to a 2006 interview Hollies guitarist Tony Hicks did with U.K. newspaper The Guardian, reposted by Songfacts, Elton “got paid 12 pounds,” which is the equivalent of about $346 today.

In 1988, The Hollies’ re-released “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” after it was used in a Miller Beer commercial. It wound up topping the U.K. singles chart for two weeks.

“Redneck Friend” – Jackson Browne (1973)

Jackson Browne’s second album, For Everyman, features rollicking country-rock tune called “Redneck Friend.” The song features some Jerry Lee Lewis-style piano playing credited to Rockaday Johnnie, who actually was Elton.

According to Songfacts, John was given the pseudonym because he was in the U.S. without a work visa at the time. “Redneck Friend” also features backing vocals by Glenn Frey of the Eagles.

The song was released as the lead single from For Everyman in September 1973. It only reached No. 85 on the Hot 100, though.

“Edge Of Heaven” – Wham! (1986)

In June 1986, Wham! released its farewell single, the upbeat, sexually charged “Edge Of Heaven.” The pop-soul tune was written by frontman George Michael, who was about to launch a hugely successful solo career.

Elton, who was friends with the Wham! guys, played piano on the track.

“Edge Of Heaven” became Wham!’s fourth No. 1 hit in the U.K. It also was the duo’s final charting single in the U.S., reaching No. 10 on the Hot 100.

In 1991, Elton and Michael’s live duet version of John’s 1974 hit “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” peaked at No. 1 in the U.K. and the U.S.

(Photo by Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)