Elton John Calls Jay Z's Marriage Equality Support a 'Pivotal Moment'

Sir Elton John says Jay Z's public show of support for marriage equality is a pivotal moment and reveals he called the rap mogul to personally thank him, during an interview with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell.

"Jay-Z, who's probably the most respected African-American artist, came out and said not only is it wrong to not have gay marriage, but any discrimination in life is wrong," John tells Mitchells. " It was an incredibly moving statement. I phoned him up in England and said, 'You have no idea what you've just said, how powerful this is.'"

John goes on to compare Jay-Z's support for President Obama's stance on same-sex marriage last May to the late Princess Diana holding the hand of an HIV/AIDS patient during a hospital visit in the 1980s. "When Jay-Z said that, it was a pivotal moment," John says. "And I take my hat off to him. I respect him so much for doing that. And, you know, when I next see him, I'm gonna give him the biggest hug."

Watch a clip of the interview below.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy