(Washington Insider Magazine)-Widely known for flabbergasting his global audiences with flamboyant performances and memorable song lyrics these past fifty years, the tables were turned on legendary superstar Sir Elton John on Friday night on the South Lawn of the White House.
During the Sir Elton John White House performance of “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme”, President Joe Biden surprised Sir Elton by presenting him with the National Humanities Medal for his tireless and lifelong efforts championing the cure for AIDS.
Open-jawed and hands-to-face, the 75-year-old pop performer appeared to be utterly shocked and a bit emotional while receiving the medal – making the Sir Elton John White House performance a true night to remember.
The one-house performance to an audience of 2000 guests was the collaboration of the A&E and History channels and was scheduled to coincide with Sir Elton’s worldwide farewell tour during his Washington, D.C. stop.
Not unlike a 3-note musical chord, the event aimed to celebrate a triad of overlapping themes: the limitless power of music, Sir Elton’s lifelong dedication to music and humanitarianism, and honoring “everyday history-makers” including teachers, nurses, front-line workers, and LGBTQ advocates.
The night’s event was named using the excerpt, “…when hope and history rhyme”, from Seamus Heaney’s The Cure of Troy, an adaptation of Sophocles’ Philoctetes. Not coincidentally, President Biden has borrowed this phrase, going back to 2008, during his political speeches.
Fondly referred to as Britain’s Rocket Man, a hat-tip to his 1972 hit single “Rocket Man”, Sir Elton has rocketed his impressive musical career through the decades while collecting accolades, awards, and achievements for his musical work in the studio, on the theater stage and television amassing a total of 54 diamond, platinum or gold albums, producing over 70 Top 40 hit songs, and receiving multiple Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.
He currently holds the record for the biggest selling single of all time with “Candle in the Wind” selling over 330 million copies.
Additionally, Sir Elton has also performed in 80 countries around the globe with a whopping 4,000 performances.
Notably, Sir Elton John was also knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to music and humanitarianism.Sir Elton’s international Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is expected to run through July 2023.
