They were recognized for their songs like “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” and no feuding happened as they received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress.
Lawmakers from both sides of the political spectrum came together with fans and other music stars to honor the songwriting duo at a tribute concert in Washington.
The Gershwin Prize is the highest accolade for influence, impact, and achievement in popular music, and it is given to living musical artists.
John jokingly mentioned that when he was young, he thought American music was the only good music and that British music was not very good as they were being awarded the honor.
The 76-year-old “Crocodile Rock” singer expressed his pride in being British and receiving the award in America, as all his musical heroes were American.
John complimented the nation’s capital and the U.S. and credited them for everything he loves in his musical life before performing his first 1970 hit, “Your Song,” for the audience.
Taupin, who has written the lyrics for over 35 gold and 25 platinum albums with John, stated that all his writing stems from the American songbook.
John made a joke about Taupin's preference for the Swedish-made cars by saying, “But he drives a Volvo.”
John and the 73-year-old Taupin represent the essence of what the prize stands for, according to Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.
When asked if the songwriting team could teach a divided Congress about unity, Hayden mentioned that it was going to be a bipartisan karaoke, bringing both sides together through music.
Hayden mentioned that people from all parts of government came together to sing “Benny and the Jets,” which was her favorite John song.
Several entertainers paid tribute to the duo and performed their songs, including: Garth Brooks, Brandi Carlile, Joni Mitchell, Annie Lennox, Maren Morris, Joni Mitchell, Metallica, Charlie Puth, Billy Porter, and Jacob Lusk.
Lawmakers such as Nancy Pelosi, Steve Scalise, Bryan Steil, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Seth Moulton, Mark Amodei, Chuck Schumer, Patty Murray, and Amy Klobuchar were seen enjoying the music.
The event titled “Elton John & Bernie Taupin: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song” will be broadcast on April 8 at 8 p.m. on PBS stations across the country.
