Benson Boone ProfileThere was hardly a dry eye in the house as Benson Boone kicked off the Australian leg of his Wanted Man tour last night, granting the wish of a 13-year-old girl battling cancer.
The concert was a blistering two-hour romp through the pop star’s impressive catalogue, but it wasn’t just the backflips and musical prowess that captured the crowd’s heart—it was the moment the Beautiful Things singer began his final number.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to do something special tonight,” explained Boone. “I’ve had the opportunity of meeting a 13-year-old girl who is battling her second round of cancer. It’s her birthday today and her birthday wish was to come on stage and sing Beautiful Things.”
Rising from the upper platform was Kenzie Riddle, who took to the microphone through choked-back tears, singing her heart out alongside her idol and ten thousand of her closest friends. According to the Today Show, Kenzie’s battle with cancer began three years ago, leading her to social media to ask for the chance to meet the hero whose music has meant so much to her during her health battles.
Kenzie has Ewing’s sarcoma and believed she had beaten the illness after two and a half years; however, it returned, and she is currently facing intensive chemotherapy.
Her quest to meet Benson Boone went viral on social media and was picked up by the Today programme. Speaking with the broadcast, Kenzie said:
“I’m so excited. I’m going with some of my closest friends for the day. We’re going to have so much fun and we’re going to sing the song super loud.”
Asked what she loves most about Benson Boone, Kenzie said: “I love his energetic style and how he’s so over the top. He’s kinda crazy and I love it.”
Speaking to the community response, Kenzie's family added: “It’s been such a journey for Kenzie. She’s such an unbelievable inspiration to so many people. We have been listening to this album on repeat since July when we got the tickets for her thirteenth birthday. But I think even bigger than that is the community behind her.”
It was local artist Fergus Hogan who created the Instagram video that started the ball rolling, with the campaign resulting in what must be an unforgettable experience for a most deserving young girl.
It was also an unforgettable night for the rest of the audience, with Boone bringing his A-game. From his trademark backflips and piano-standing, to a formidable pyrotechnics and light show, through to traversing the venue on a platform suspended from the roof, Boone left nothing on the table.
Throughout that spectacle, however, it was his incredible vocal ability that shone through. Sometimes large-scale arena concerts can overshadow musicianship in exchange for theatrics, but Boone’s note-perfect, powerful delivery proved that he had nothing to hide, channelling the performance spirit of Freddie Mercury throughout.
For an artist just two albums and five years into his career, his formidable catalogue of hits, opening with Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else and Mr Electric Blue, and weaving through fan favourites like In the Stars, Slow It Down, and Mystical Magical was what the crowd came to see, and the gripping two-hour set left nobody disappointed.
It was his global smash Beautiful Things that everyone was ultimately there to witness, and a anthem that has resonated across the world will now carry even deeper meaning for those packed into the Brisbane Entertainment Centre last night, thanks to Kenzie Riddle.
