🔥 "THE 81-YEAR-OLD ROCK LEGEND ABRUPTLY HALTED HIS OWN SHOW MID-SONG" — During a high-profile live performance, Sir Rod Stewart left the entire audience stunned when he suddenly made an unscripted move to stop the music right in the middle of a verse.

Rod Stewart Stops Mid-Performance to Redo Pitchy Note While Singing at Hamptons Charity Event: ‘Let’s Do That Again’

The singer was performing “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” when he handled the voice mishap like a pro during the event benefiting the nonprofit TeachRock

NEED TO KNOW

Rod Stewart stopped mid-performance to redo a pitchy note he hit while singing at a charity event in the Hamptons on July 29
The rock star was performing “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” when his voice croaked during the line, “Take away all my sadness”
Stewart performed to benefit TeachRock, the national education nonprofit founded by Steven Van Zandt

Take two!

Rod Stewart stopped mid-performance to redo a pitchy note he hit while singing his popular song “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” at a charity event in the Hamptons on July 29, which PEOPLE attended.

Performing the 1991 tune from his Vagabond Heart album, Stewart, 81, crooned, “You fill my heart with gladness,” but before he could finish the next line, “Take away all my sadness,” his voice croaked as he belted “my.”

Pausing, and making a concerned expression, the rockstar joked, “Let’s do that again,” before he sang “my” once more — this time backed by thunderous applause from the audience before him.

Stewart, who has a history of thyroid cancer surgery, canceled and postponed concert stops last month following a diagnosis of acute upper respiratory infection, laryngitis and vocal fold strain.

Stewart performed at the Southampton home of philanthropists Bob and Lauren Day Roberts to benefit TeachRock, the national education nonprofit founded by Steven Van Zandt.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Sopranos alum, 75, joined Stewart for performances of his tune “Having a Party” and “Stay with Me” — a song Stewart released with his London rock band, Faces.

The evening, curated by producer and creative director Mark Aldridge and produced by Nick King, CEO of BlueDog Group, raised $1.7 million for TeachRock, which provides free, standards-aligned curriculum about music to schools across the nation.

Guests in attendance helped raise funds by bidding on live auction experiences, including dinner with Van Zandt and cast members of The Sopranos in New York City’s Little Italy, an intimate dinner with Stewart and his wife, Penny Lancaster, and a dinner at Andrea Bocelli’s private villa in Tuscany, which will be followed by a private concert.

Stevie Van Zandt and Rod Stewart — Steven Van Zandt (left) and Rod Stewart (right) performing in Southampton on July 29.Lane Oliveri

“When I started TeachRock, I hoped we’d build a community of artists who believe music belongs in every classroom,” Van Zandt said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

“To see someone I’ve admired for so long lend his talent to this mission and to watch people come together to support teachers, students, and the next generation through music is incredibly moving,” he added.

“Rod didn’t just give us an unforgettable performance this evening, he gave our mission a tremendous boost,” continued Van Zandt. “Every dollar raised helps us put free arts education into more classrooms, and that’s something worth celebrating.”

Stewart said in his own statement, “Playing alongside the legend that is Stevie Van Zandt for TeachRock — what a night.”

“Music changed my life, and TeachRock is making sure it can change theirs too,” the Grammy Award-winning musician added.