Elton John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin were honored at a tribute concert on Wednesday night at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. The pair were given the Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize for their contribution to music at the invitation-only event.
The concert included performances from Joni Mitchell, Garth Brooks, Brandi Carlile, Annie Lennox, and perhaps most surprisingly, Metallica. The metal legends honored John and Taupin by performing “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” from John’s 1973 double album “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”
“They’re an inspiration to us,” Metallica’s James Hetfield told People. Guitarist Kirk Hammett added, “They’re responsible for some of the greatest songs of my childhood.”
Ahead of the concert, Metallica issued a statement saying: “We are beyond excited and proud to have been invited to perform at a very special event honoring the legendary songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin as they are presented with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.”
“We are traveling to Washington, DC, next month to join Garth Brooks, Annie Lennox, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, and others for the tribute concert and award presentation on March 20. PBS stations nationwide will premiere the concert on Monday, April 8, at 8 PM ET (check local listings),available via broadcast and streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app.”
“Elton and Bernie have been collaborating for 56 years and counting, and together, they have penned some of our lifetime’s most memorable and influential songs. We are thrilled to celebrate this honor with them, and we look forward to an incredible evening of unique performances from their remarkable collection of songs.”
Elton John previously said that Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” is one of the best songs ever written and covered the track with Miley Cyrus.
Crowd-shot video of Metallica’s performance can be viewed below.
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