Sir Elton John performed for President Joe Biden and 2,000 fans at the White House lawn recently as part of his farewell tour.
He started the performance with Your Song and the guest list for the event included teachers, nurses, frontline workers and LGBTQ advocates as well as former First Lady Laura Bush, civil rights advocate Ruby Bridges and education activist Malala Yousafazai.
The concert was themed A Night When Hope and History Rhyme and it was John’s first White House performance since he last performed with Stevie Wonder in 1998.
“Like so many Americans, our family loves his music. It’s clear Elton John’s music has changed our lives,” said President Biden.
At 75, John said that the performance was the ‘icing on the cake’ as an ending to his career which spans decades.
John also became teary-eyed when President Biden awarded him with the National Humanities Medal.
“I’m flabbergasted. I will treasure this. I don’t know how to take a compliment very well. But it’s wonderful to be here amongst so many people who have helped my AIDS foundation and my heroes, the ones that worl day to day on the front line,” said John in tears.
The concert at the White House was sponsored by A+E Networks and the History Channel.
President Biden said that he and his wife were big fans and he had written in his memoir in 2017 that he used to sing Crocodile Rock to his two sons when he drove them to school and later to his son Beau who died of cancer at 46.
John’s farewell tour will include a performance in Washington and concerts across the United States until mid- November.
He will then head over to Australia and New Zealand at the end of the year and Europe in March. He will also perform for nine days at London’s O2 arena.
Read More News:
Video: Massive fire breaks out at world’s biggest produce market in Paris
