2024-01-31 10:17:27
British superstar Elton John and his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin have been announced as the winners of the 2024 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, established by the Library of Congress in 2007 to honor artists with a distinct influence on popular song.
This announcement comes nearly two weeks after John won the first Emmy Award in his career, making him the 19th person in Hollywood to combine the 4 most important international awards.
On Tuesday, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden paid tribute to John and Taupin, noting that they wrote some of their most memorable songs, and that their careers were distinguished by the quality of their music, its broad appeal and its influence on fellow artists. She added: “I am proud to honor Elton and Bernie with the Gershwin Award for their incredible influence on generations of music lovers.”
For his part, Elton John said: “I have been writing songs with Bernie for 56 years, and we never thought that one day we might be given this award. It is a great honor for two British men to be honored in this way.”
John, 76, and Taupin, 73, first met in 1967 and have written songs together for more than 50 years. In 1973, the duo recorded their first US hit single, “Alligator Rock.” Some of their biggest collaborations include songs such as “Goodbye Yellow Paved Road”, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”, “Your Song”, “Rocket Man” and “Little Dancer”.
John and Taupin will be celebrated with a tribute concert in Washington, D.C., on March 20, and the ceremony will be broadcast on PBS on April 8 at 8 p.m., People magazine reported.
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