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Michael J. Fox Goes Back To The Past With Coldplay

By Christina St Jean
Published on: 13:00 PST, Jul 18, 2016

Michael J. Fox has just proven that in spite of a chronic illness, he’s still got the moves, thanks to Coldplay.

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin brought Michael J. Fox onstage during a show in New Jersey July 17, but it wasn’t without some introduction from his son Moses, who asked Martin to play a couple of tracks from “both our favorite movie, Back to the Future,” according to Express.

The Coldplay frontman is not one to deny his son such a request, so he began to play “Earth Angel” from the 1980s classic film. Halfway through the song, much to the surprise of the packed stadium, Martin introduced Michael J. Fox, who came out to play acoustic guitar as backup. Then, Martin and Michael J. Fox launched into “Johnny B. Goode,” according to Daily Mail. Michael J. Fox proved that, in spite of his Parkinson’s Disease, he can still bring the licks.

Surprisingly, this was not the first time that Michael J. Fox and Coldplay banded together. The two joined forces in 2013 for a benefit in New York for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. According to Bustle, Michael J. Fox tore it up at the Coldplay gig this evening. Seeing Michael J. Fox bring his best guitar licks to the party reminded concertgoers of just how hot he was on the guitar in the classic Back to the Future, when teens at the Under the Sea dance weren’t even sure where (or when, for that matter) he came from.

Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 1991, when the actor was just 30 years old. An estimated 4 percent of people are typically diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at 50, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. Seven to 10 million people worldwide are estimated to have Parkinson’s Disease, with men being diagnosed with the condition one and a half times more frequently than women.

Michael J. Fox did not disclose that he had the disease until 1999 after he’d had brain surgery to help control the tremors associated with Parkinson’s Disease. He admitted that at the time, he thought that he’d merely injured his shoulder.

“I thought I’d hurt my shoulder doing some stunt because I had a twitch in my pinkie,” he told David Letterman in 2015. “And the doctor said ‘You have Parkinson’s disease.'”

Chris Martin said that Michael J. Fox playing again with Coldplay was a “dream come true,” and while the request may have been made by Martin’s son Moses, it was pretty clear that Martin was pretty stoked to have Michael J. Fox playing with Coldplay.

“Our hero!” Chris yelled as “Johnny B. Goode” came to an end. “Michael J. Fox!”

It would seem that Michael J. Fox loved his experience with Coldplay as well.

Michael J. Fox made the appearance with Coldplay shortly after he slammed a report from The Globe that he was refusing life-saving surgery and that he had accepted there was no hope in halting the progression of his Parkinson’s Disease.

In sharing an image of The Globe‘s story, Michael J. Fox said, “Recent story in the Globe re my health and state of mind went viral. Disturbing and total B.S. The Globe apologizes.”

Michael J. Fox has been a longtime guitarist; while he simulated playing guitar in Back to the Future, he decided to pick up the instrument himself and has played with such luminaries as Joan Jett, The Who, and of course, Coldplay, according to 89.3 KPCC. While it is certain that Michael J. Fox is continuing to live his life to the fullest and not let Parkinson’s Disease stop him, Back to the Future fans and fans of the star himself were doubtless delighted to see the star light up the stage with Coldplay.

[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for iHeartMedia]

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