Elton John and Bernie Taupin, the songwriting duo behind hits such as “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocket Man,” will be honored as the recipients of the 2024 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
“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,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said. “More than 50 years ago, they came from across the pond to win over Americans and audiences worldwide with their beautiful songs and rock anthems.”
The two will receive the prize and be honored with a tribute concert in D.C. on March 20. The concert, “Elton John and Bernie Taupin: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song,” will premiere on PBS stations April 8 at 8 p.m.
“I’ve been writing songs with Bernie for 56 years, and we never thought that one day this might be bestowed upon us,” John said.
The prolific partnership began when the two met in 1967 and, according to author Parke Puterbaugh, has produced 57 singles on Billboard’s Top Forty, second only to Elvis Presley.
“Your Song,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” are just a few songs they wrote together that have become classic rock ballads. John and Taupin also wrote hits, such as “Bennie and The Jets” and “Crocodile Rock,” which became their first No. 1 single in the U.S. in 1973.
“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,” Taupin said.
John has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and, according to the Library of Congress, holds the record for the bestselling physical single of all time with Taupin’s rewritten lyrics for “Candle in the Wind 1997,” which sold more than 33 million copies worldwide.
The Gershwin Prize was established in 2007 and is named after the songwriting sibling team of George and Ira Gershwin. The prize honors living musical artists who impact, entertain and inform audiences; inspiring new generations of musicians.
Past winners include Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson and Joni Mitchell.
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