Lifetime songwriting collaborators Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin are set to receive the Library of Congress' 2024 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and will be honored with a private tribute concert to be held in Washington, DC. On April 8, the event will then be premiered on PBS.
CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 16, 2019: Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin attend the photocall for "Rocketman" during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival.
Library of Congress Honors John and Taupin's Iconic Partnership
The win was announced by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden in a public release last Tuesday, Jan. 30, bestowing the prestigious prize named after another legendary songwriting duo, George and Ira Gershwin.
Of the currently honored duo, Hayden said: "Elton John and Bernie Taupin have written some of the most memorable songs of our lives. Their careers stand out for the quality and broad appeal of their music and their influence on their fellow artists."
Indeed, they are behind some of the most iconic pop standards of modern times, with "Your Song," "Tiny Dancer," "Rocket Man" "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," to name a couple.
Their collaborative work "Crocodile Rock" has even garnered the coveted Billboard No. 1 single in the US back in 1973. With the amount of enjoyment that is projected in songs like "Bennie and The Jets," their synergy and unbridled creative process are apparent.
John and Taupin reportedly first met when the former was still just an up-and-coming young piano player in 1967. Unknowingly to both, they would then become a force to be reckoned with in the music industry, working together to create countless masterpieces for over 50 years.
"I've been writing songs with Bernie for 56 years, and we never thought that that one day this might be bestowed upon us," said John. "It's an incredible honor for two British guys to be recognized like this. I'm so honored."
Similarly, Taupin expressed his joy upon hearing the news, saying, "To be in a house along with the great American songwriters, to even be in the same avenue is humbling, and I am absolutely thrilled to accept."
Aside from making absolute pop "bangers," the songwriting duo is also behind the music and lyrics of the briefly Broadway-ran vampire musical "Lestat," while John alone contributed to the music from "The Lion King," "Aida," and "Billy Elliot: The Musical."
His most recent theatrical stint is with the Broadway-bound production of "Tammy Faye," which held its inaugural run in London's West End last year.
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