Monday Night’s Alright For Winning: Joe Biden Praises Elton John Joining EGOT Club With Emmy Victory
Joe Biden hasn’t had anything to say so far about Donald Trump’s big win at the Iowa caucuses last night, but when it comes to Elton John, the man in the White House was ebullient this morning.
“Sir Elton John has been a tidal wave throughout his career to help people rise up and make hope and history rhyme,” POTUS said Tuesday in a social media post praising the “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” performer’s ascension to EGOT status. “Six Grammy Awards. Two Oscars. One Tony, And now, one Emmy.”
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The singer’s Disney+ special Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium beat Chris Rock Selective Outrage, The Oscars, 75th Annual Tony Awards and The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna in the the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category on Monday at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. Elton wasn’t in attendance at the DTLA ceremony.
As you can see below, Biden added to the singer this morning: “Congratulations Elton – a singer and songwriter of our time, for all time.”
Heading into what is almost certain to be a rematch with Trump, President Biden’s remarks shouldn’t really come as a surprise. The incumbent has long been an Elton fan. Biden surprised the singer with National Humanities Medal after a filmed concert on the White House South Lawn back in September 2022.
Put around Elton neck in front of the invite-only audience and cameras, the medal’s citation calls AIDS and sobriety activist John “an enduring icon and advocate with absolute courage, who found purpose to challenge convention, shatter stigma and advance the simple truth, that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.”
“I will treasure this so much, and it will make me double my efforts to make sure this disease goes away,” Elton said at the time at the A Night When Hope and History Rhyme event. “America’s kindness to me as a musician is second to none, but in the war against AIDS and HIV it’s even bigger.”
Joining the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Viola Davis, John Legend, Rita Moreno, and John Gielgud, Elton is now the 19th person to sweep the table with Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award wins. The rock icon won his first Grammy in 1987 for That’s What Friends Are For, won his first Oscar for Best Original Song for Can You Feel the Love Tonight and scored a Tony for the Aida score.
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