The Democratic president of the United States presented the singer with the National Humanities Medal.
Its music “changed our lives”. US President Joe Biden paid a moving tribute to Elton John on Friday, ahead of a White House concert by the British pop legend, of whom Donald Trump was a huge fan. The American president surprised him by awarding him the National Humanities Medal. “I am never dumbfounded, but here I am dumbfounded,” commented the singer, very excited.
read alsoJoe Biden invites Elton John to the White House on Friday to celebrate the ‘power of music’
“The President of the United States awards this National Humanities Medal to Sir Elton John for having moved our souls with his powerful voice”welcomed a press release, “With his compositions, Elton John has crafted a collection of defining songs. He is an icon and a civil rights defender of absolute courage. He challenged convention, broke stigma and promoted a simple truth: everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. »
Under a huge transparent tent erected in the gardens at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the US executive had invited some 2,000 guests: activists, in particular activists for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, nursing staff, teachers… In the bipartisan hearing Nobel Peace Prize winner. Malala Yousafzai, former first lady Laura Bush with one of her daughters, and former tennis champion and activist Billie Jean King.
“What a dump here!”, joked Sir Elton John, shiny black suit and glasses with orange lenses, opening his concert and taking to the piano. Behind him, the residence of the American president all illuminated, and a military band in full dress. Playing on this stage is “the icing on the cake”he said before singing “Your song”, an essential ballad in his repertoire.
A thought for George W. Bush
The singer recalled his commitment to the fight against AIDS and thanked America for the help provided in this fight. He made the audience laugh by reporting on an exchange with George W. Bush. The former Republican president would have asked him, in colorful terms, to help him convince France to give more money to the fight against AIDS: “Make the French give more fucking money.”
Elton John, who at 75 is on an important tour of the United States, thanked Joe Biden for his invitation. “I just wish the United States was more capable of crossing party lines,” he said. Before resuming his concert of about forty minutes, he concluded with another planetary success, “I Am Still Standing”.
It was, according to the White House, to celebrate the unifying power of music. But since everything in Washington is always political, it was difficult, when the musician sang “Rocket Man”, one of his innumerable hits, not to think of the former Republican president. C’est ainsi that Donald Trump avait surnamed the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The republic avait pour habitude de passer des chansons d’Elton John hanging his meetings, in particular “Tiny Dancer”, another tube that the artist performed Friday night.