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It’s fitting that two men that are as close as brothers would be honored with an award named after brothers George and Ira Gershwin.
Elton John and Bernie Taupin were honored with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song on Wednesday night with a tribute concert in D.C. This is only the third time The Library of Congress has awarded the prize to a team since its inception in 2007.
The partnership of Elton John and Bernie Taupin traces back to 1967 when they both answered an advertisement from a company looking for new songwriters.
Over the next 56 years, the music they created sold hundreds of million albums and earned both of them a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The all-star concert at DAR Constitution Hall honoring the songwriting duo had a diverse lineup, including artists like past Gershwin winner Garth Brooks, Maren Morris, Metallica, Billy Porter, Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile.
Carlile, a 10-time Grammy winner, was asked by WTOP to describe the music of Elton John and Bernie Taupin in one word.
“Revolutionary, eccentric, beautiful, stunning, the greatest of all time,” Carlile said.
The show started with Metallica performing “Funeral For a Friend” and “Love Lies Bleeding.”
On the red carpet, Metallica’s James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett talked about what performing for the “Rocket Man” means to them.
“Elton is an amazing soul beyond his songwriting abilities. He is a beautiful soul and I’m proud to know him,” said frontman Hetfield.
Lead guitarist, Hammett pointed out that he has been a Elton John fan since he was about 13 or 14 years old, adding “that’s a long time ago.”
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During their long collaboration, including when the pair were roommates, both John and Taupin insist that they’ve never fought with each other.
Before the concert, their friend Annie Lennox was shocked when she heard that claim, asking if it was true.
The singer thought about it for a second before trying to guess how the two musicians have stayed cordial.
“Well, they are either being really polite,” she said. After a small chuckle, Lennox added: “I think it would be almost impossible to not have some discourse. But, you have to remember that Bernie sends Elton the lyrics and he just gets them and Bernie is not even in the room and that may have something to do with it.”
With their partnership, Taupin writes the lyrics while John writes the music. They do not write together, they do all of their work separately.
Lennox performed “Border Song” during the tribute and joined Mitchell and Carlile on “I’m Still Standing.”
The Gershwin Prize concert airs on April 8 at 8 p.m. on PBS.