Four Legendary Voices Unite for a Powerful “Smile” Charity Performance Honoring Nurse Heroes
It’s rare to see four legendary voices like Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli, and Josh Groban unite for a single project. This remarkable collaboration was created in support of Nurse Heroes, with each artist lending their signature sound to a heartfelt cover of the Nat King Cole classic “Smile.” From the very start, the project carries a sense of purpose and warmth that goes far beyond a typical studio performance.
With a lineup of this caliber, longtime fans may have already suspected that producer David Foster would be involved. Sure enough, Foster sets the emotional tone with a graceful piano introduction, immediately establishing a sense of elegance and restraint. His touch gives the song a timeless foundation before the voices begin to unfold.
Andrea Bocelli is the first to enter, opening the song with a tender, honeyed vocal that feels both intimate and expansive. His phrasing is gentle yet commanding, drawing listeners in and setting a reflective mood that perfectly suits the song’s message of hope and resilience.
Josh Groban follows, bringing a warm and deeply emotional delivery that adds another layer of sincerity. His voice carries a comforting quality, balancing power with vulnerability and giving the performance a sense of human closeness that resonates strongly with the cause behind the song.
Just after the three-minute mark, Stevie Wonder joins the performance, and his entrance feels nothing short of magical. Every note he sings carries that unmistakable sense of soul and authenticity, reminding listeners why his voice has remained one of the most cherished in music history.
At around 4:30, Celine Dion steps in with an R&B-inflected vocal that lifts the song toward its emotional peak. Her expressive phrasing and control bring a powerful sense of release, seamlessly weaving with Wonder and Bocelli as the song builds toward its finale.
Together, the four artists trade lines and harmonize with remarkable balance, never overpowering one another. Instead, the performance feels unified and purposeful, as if each voice is carefully placed to serve the song rather than individual spotlight moments.
The result is a moving musical statement that feels both intimate and grand, offering comfort, gratitude, and hope to those it was created to honor. It’s a reminder of how powerful music can be when it’s guided by compassion.
The collaboration was uploaded to YouTube on November 27, 2020, and has since attracted more than 1.4 million views. Viewers were deeply moved by the charity performance, filling the comments with praise and gratitude for both the artists’ generosity and the emotion behind the rendition.
Andrea Bocelli’s connection with David Foster spans many years, and he has also shared multiple collaborations with both Dion and Groban. These long-standing musical relationships add an extra layer of chemistry to the performance, making the collaboration feel natural rather than forced.
“Smile” was originally composed by Charlie Chaplin and David Raksin as an instrumental theme for Chaplin’s 1936 film Modern Times, inspired by operatic romantic motifs. Nat King Cole later became the first artist to record it with lyrics, releasing his version in 1954 to major chart success. Over the decades, the song has been reinterpreted by many artists, including Michael Jackson, who often cited it as his favorite song.
