Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban team up for a powerful cover of Nat King Cole’s “Smile”…The viral effect will surprise you…

It’s not every day that Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli, and Josh Groban team up for a collab! This vocal all-star lineup got together to help out Nurse Heroes by adding their gorgeous melodies to a cover of Nat King Cole classic “Smile.” Given the lineup, The Music Man readers may have already guessed that producer David Foster was involved, and he does indeed provide a stately piano intro before Bocelli opens the song with a honeyed vocal.

Groban was next in the hot seat, adding such a sweet and heartfelt vocal. After the three- minute mark, Stevie Wonder appears, and wow, what a voice! Every time Wonder opens his mouth, something magical happens – what an incredible gift he has. Dion came in at 4:30 with an R&B-style vocal to help bring the song to its big conclusion, trading lines with Wonder and Bocelli.

The huge collab was uploaded on YouTube on November 27, 2020, where it has since gained 1.4 million views. Fans were really touched by the charity performance and added comments such as “Josh Groban’s voice is golden as is his willingness to help others. I have so much respect for him” and “It’s beautiful to see so many performers come together to spread some hope and encouragement. My heart has been touched. Thank you.”

Bocelli has enjoyed a long-running working relationship with Foster, as well as a number of collaborations with Dion and Groban. As we’ve covered before here on The Music Man, Foster, Bocelli, and Dion are well known for recording the hit “The Prayer”, which Groban has also performed a number of times over the years. Another great Bocelli and Groban collab is when they sang a duet on “We Will Meet Once Again”, which they originally recorded for Groban’s eighth studio album Bridges.

Charlie Chaplin and David Raksin composed “Smile” as an instrumental theme for the former’s 1936 film Modern Times, taking inspiration from the romantic duet in the first act of Puccini’s opera Tosca. Jazz icon Nat King Cole was the first performer to record a version of “Smile” with lyrics. He released his version in 1954 and gained a number 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as hitting number two on the UK Singles chart. Another notable version is Michael Jackson’s 1995 recording, and the late great pop star frequently named “Smile” as his favorite song.