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Elton John Announces Final ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ North American Tour Dates

• By Althea Legaspi

Althea Legaspi

Elton John has announced the final shows for the North American leg of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour , which run through November.

The 11 new tour dates include additional shows in East Rutherford, New Jersey; Foxborough, Massachusetts; Phoenix, Arizona; Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. A third show has also been added to his run at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Tickets for the new slate of concerts go on sale April 6 at 10 a.m. local time via John’s website , with a limited number of VIP packages and American Express card member presale tickets available beginning on March 30 at 10 a.m. local time.

“It’s hard to believe that after tomorrow in St. Louis, I’ll have just a handful of shows left before I wrap up my final arena performances in the United States,” John said in a statement. “This year will see my grand finale in North America, playing stadiums all around the country, with the most spectacular production I’ve ever had. Thank you for sharing this journey with me. I cherish these memories we’re making together. It has been nothing short of incredible and I look forward to seeing you very soon one last time, on my Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.”

John’s epic farewell tour has experienced some bumps along the way, including the postponement of two Dallas shows in January after the musician was diagnosed with Covid-19. At the time, he had just resumed his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour  after a nearly two-year delay  caused by the pandemic , as well as an  ill-timed hip injury .

Earlier this month, the singer shared a new video for “ Finish Line ,” his collaborative track with Stevie Wonder that appears on John’s all-star 2021 album, The Lockdown Sessions .

Farewell Yellow Brick Road New North American Tour Dates

July 24 – East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium July 27 – Foxborough, MA @ Gillette Stadium September 8  – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre September 13 – Charleston, SC  @ Credit One Stadium October 8 – Santa Clara, CA  @ Levi’s Stadium October 16 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome October 17 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome October 22 – Vancouver, BC @ BC Place November 9 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park November 11 – Phoenix, AZ @ Chase Field November 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Dodger Stadium

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Elton John Announces 'Grand Finale' Of His North American Farewell Tour

By Andrew Magnotta @AndrewMagnotta

March 29, 2022

The end of the Yellow Brick Road is in sight for Elton John .

The Rocket Man has added eleven new shows to his summer/fall tour itinerary, beginning July 24 in at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and wrapping up November 20 in at Dodgers Stadium in California — what will be Elton's 2,000th U.S. concert.

"This year will see my grand finale in North America, playing stadiums all around the country, with the most spectacular production I’ve ever had," he said. "Thank you for sharing this journey with me. I cherish these memories we’re making together. It has been nothing short of incredible and I look forward to seeing you very soon one last time, on my Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.”

Sir Elton's U.S. arena tour resumes tomorrow (March 30) in St. Louis, Missouri, and runs for about four weeks. He'll then have a month respite before picking up where he left off in Europe from May 21 - July 4.

On July 15, Elton will be back in the U.S. and Canada rocking baseball and football stadiums with 31 total shows through November.

For a full list of tour dates, go here .

American Express Card Members can purchase tickets in select markets before the general public beginning Wednesday, March 30, at 10 a.m. local time through Tuesday, April 5, at 10 p.m. local time.  

A limited number of exclusive VIP packages will also be available starting Wednesday, March 30, at 10 a.m. local time. These exclusive offers can include excellent reserved seated tickets, photo opportunities at Elton John’s piano, backstage tours, limited-edition lithographs, custom merchandise and much more. 

Tickets will go on sale to the public Wednesday, April 6 at 10 a.m. local time at  EltonJohn.com .

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Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour

It is with great excitement that Elton announces the final dates for his award-winning Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour in North America and Europe.

Elton will conclude his world-famous tour at major stadiums which will kick off on May 27, 2022 in Frankfurt. The Final Tour will make stops in Europe in major cities such as Milan, Liverpool, and Paris. Elton will then travel across the pond to take his final bow in North America, playing in major cities including Vancouver, Toronto, East Rutherford, Chicago and more. The North American stadium run will kick off at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 15, 2022 before concluding with back-to-back performances at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on November 19 and 20, 2022 — commemorating his iconic performance at the historic venue in October 1975. 2023 kicks off with two shows in Auckland, New Zealand on January 27 and 28, followed by soon-to-be-announced dates in Australia before the epic 4-year tour formally concludes there later that year.

Public on-sales begin Tuesday, June 29 in Europe and Wednesday, June 30 in North America.

Fri, May 27 2022 Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt - Tickets

Sun, May 29 2022 Red Bull Arena, Leipzig - Tickets

Sat, June 04 2022 San Siro Stadium, Milan - Tickets

Tue, June 07 2022 CASA Arena, Horsens - On Sale Sept. '21

Thu, June 09 2022 Gelredome, Arnhem - Tickets

Sat, June 11 2022 La Defense Arena, Paris - Tickets

Sat, June 12 2022 La Defense Arena, Paris - Tickets

Wed, June 15 2022 Carrow Road, Norwich - Tickets

Fri, June 17 2022 Anfield Stadium, Liverpool - Tickets

Sun, June 19 2022 Stadium of Light, Sunderland - Tickets

Wed, June 22 2022 Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol - Tickets

Wed, June 29 2022 Liberty Stadium, Swansea - Tickets

Fri, July 1 2022 Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork - On Sale Jul. '21

Fri, July 15 2022 Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA - Tickets

Mon, July 18 2022 Comerica Park, Detroit, MI - Tickets

Sat, July 23 2022 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ - Tickets

Thu, July 28 2022 Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA - Tickets

Sat, July 30 2022 Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH - Tickets

Fri, August 05 2022 Soldier Field, Chicago, IL - Tickets

Sun, September 07 2022 Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON - Tickets

Sat, September 10 2022 Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY - Tickets

Fri, September 16 2022 PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA - Tickets

Sun, September 18 2022 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC - Tickets

Thu, September 22 2022 Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA - Tickets

Sat, September 24 2022 Nationals Park, Washington, DC - Tickets

Fri, September 30 2022 Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX - Tickets

Sun, October 02 2022 Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN - Tickets

Fri, October 21 2022 BC Place, Vancouver, BC - Tickets

Sat, October 29 2022 Alamodome, San Antonio, TX - Tickets

Fri, November 04 2022 Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX - Tickets

Sat, November 12 2022 Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ - Tickets

Sat, November 19 2022 Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA - Tickets

Sun, November 20 2022 Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA - Tickets

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Elton john is still standing: rocket man on disney+ live special, ending tour life and topping the charts in his ‘70s.

The Oscar, Grammy and Tony winner on possibly winning an Emmy, collaborating with Britney Spears and his favorite Aretha Franklin moment.

By Mesfin Fekadu

Mesfin Fekadu

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Going to an Elton John concert is an experience — fans eagerly play the air piano, parents film the show with their cellphones like feverish teenagers, and attendees wear sequined blazers, studded rhinestone glasses and fuzzy scarves to match the style of the Rocket Man.

All this was captured in Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium , which aired live on Disney+ on Nov. 20. The concert took place 47 years after John’s historic 1975 performance at the Los Angeles ballpark that cemented his superstar status.

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Adds the special’s executive producer David Furnish, who is married to the singer-composer: “I think Elton gives permission for people to really be themselves, to celebrate their inner rock star and bring out the most joyous, celebratory part of their lives. And I think that came across [in the special].”

John also has executive producing duties on Farewell From Dodger Stadium , which could earn an Emmy nomination and lead to the final piece of the EGOT puzzle for the British icon. His company with Furnish, Rocket Entertainment, produced the concert event with Fulwell73 Productions and director Paul Dugdale, the team behind the five-time Emmy-winning Adele: One Night Only .

Furnish, who serves as creative director on John’s tour, says they had only 10 weeks to put the live spectacle together. “There were a lot of balls in the air, and everybody pulled together as a team and just rose to the occasion, because we all knew we had the opportunity to create something really special,” he says.

“Also, one of the things that I’ll always remember is that Joni Mitchell was at the side of the stage dancing,” John chimes in, smiling. “Can’t beat that.”

In an interview with THR , John discusses the concert special and having a No. 1 hit at 75, recalls Aretha Franklin’s last performance and gives his thoughts on inching toward EGOT status.

DODGER STADIUM, 27 YEARS LATER

Besides airing the concert live, the production was also filming the performance for a documentary about John’s last trek on the road.

“I was just hoping that there weren’t going to be any technical or equipment snags from our end,” says John. “Because you never know, things go wrong, and we were extremely lucky that things didn’t go wrong. It was one of the most amazing, memorable nights of my life, and I’ve had a few there.”

John notes that though the production of the tour was grand, he felt comfortable being able to do what he does best — sing and play piano. “I was so blown away with the way that we played and we sang, and the sound was fantastic,” he says. “I think that comes across in the livestream. I was having such a great time.”

“It wasn’t just watching a concert,” Furnish adds. “It was a transcendent emotional experience for so many of the people watching the show. I was thrilled that we were able to bring that culture to life.”

COLD HEART, HOT HIT

John’s “Cold Heart” received a warm response from fans when it was released two years ago.

The track, a collaboration with pop star Dua Lipa and electronic trio Pnau, became an international hit and interpolates John’s “Rocket Man,” “Kiss the Bride,” “Sacrifice” and “Where’s the Shoorah?” The bop topped the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for a whopping 36 weeks.

” ‘Cold Heart’ is still in the Australian Top 50 now,” he adds. “It’s ridiculous. It’s wonderful. Is it a surprise? It was never planned.”

John followed the hit with another top 10 effort: “Hold Me Closer” with Britney Spears . The song, which combines elements from John’s “Tiny Dancer,” “The One” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” was Spears’ first release after the termination of her conservatorship.

“It was lovely to do the Britney [collaboration] because I wanted people to know that she can still sing and do things. It just lifted me,” says John of the single, which was the pop diva’s first new song in six years.

And more music from John is on the way. “I’ll be recording a new album very soon, and I can’t wait because I haven’t really recorded a proper record for a long time, so I’m looking forward to doing that,” he says.

“There’s so much great music around that you don’t hear on the radio. And unfortunately, the playlists that you stream tend to [be for] the biggest streamy record. But I do a radio show every week, and I hear the greatest music. There are so many great girls and boys that I’d love to record with, and they’re new and they’ve not been heard of.”

HUBBY’S FAVORITE

When it comes to picking his favorite John song, Furnish says the autobiographical “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” tops his list. “The thought of Elton being at a stage in his life where he was so low that he was considering taking his own life, and might not be with us, is very emotional,” he says.

“Someone Saved My Life Tonight,” a near-seven-minute song, became a hit in 1975 off John’s album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.

Furnish says John was planning to create an animated feature based on the Captain Fantastic cover art designed by Alan Aldridge, but it never happened. “All the visual development work was done, and we pulled it out of the archive and created this amazing video that accompanies the song when Elton plays it live,” explains Furnish. “And I always find it incredibly emotional. It really touches me.”

QUEENS OF SOUL AND ROCK ‘N’ ROLL

“She was so sick and frail, and she came out — and I think it was the fact that it was in the cathedral [Manhattan’s Cathedral of Saint John the Divine] — she just went for it,” recalls John. “And we were all crying. Rosanne Cash was there, Sheryl Crow. We were just standing by the front of the stage like little fans, just sobbing, when she was playing the piano. You’ll never see that again. Ever.”

John says he has several favorite memories of the Queen of Soul, but he especially loves when she paid tribute to Carole King at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors with her rousing rendition of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” a performance so good, it even brought Barack Obama to tears.

“I’ve seen that performance about 50 times, and it is beyond belief,” says John. “And when she drops the coat and the handbag, and that voice — no one comes near that kind of thing.”

He adds another musical power­house to his list of favorites: Tina Turner. “There has never been anybody as electric, male or female, onstage than Tina Turner,” says John, interviewed two days after her death in May. “You had James Brown. You’ve had Prince. You’ve got Mick Jagger. But no one came near Tina. She was unbelievable.”

THE ‘E’ IN EGOT

But things could change this year, if Farewell From Dodger Stadium scores a nom for outstanding variety special (live). Last year, Dr. Dre’s star-studded Super Bowl performance with Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar won in the category, helping each of the A-list acts earn their first Emmys. Jay-Z and Jesse Collins also won as executive producers.

John admits that becoming an EGOT “has never been a goal” but adds: “If it gets nominated for an Emmy, that’d be wonderful.

“I’m so pleased about the quality of this thing,” John continues. “The sound and what they did is incredible, and I’m so proud of it. I couldn’t find anything wrong with it, and I’m usually so critical. So if it is nominated for an Emmy, we’ll just celebrate that.”

This story first appeared in a June stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe .

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The Rocket Man Show

September 23, 2023

2 hours, includes one intermission

Curran Theater | 445 Geary St. San Francisco, CA 94102

This is Elton! Crash land into your seat with THE ROCKET MAN SHOW , starring Scotsman Rus Anderson – Elton John’s official 70’s body double as featured in the ‘ Farewell Yellow Brick Road ’ world tour. Chosen by the man himself, Rus’ performance pilots a night of greatest hits, gorgeous costumes and fierce piano playing. Currently featured on E!’s ‘ Clash of the Cover Bands ’, Rus’ portrayal of Elton has been described as “ Amazing ” by Jimmy Fallon and “ Phenomenal ” by Queen’s Adam Lambert. THE ROCKET MAN SHOW has quickly joined the list of must-see tickets in town and is perhaps summed up best by ‘ All About That Bass ’ megastar Meghan Trainor who claims “ You IS Elton! ” It’s one small step for man…one giant leap for Elton John fans.

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Sep 26, 2018

Elton john announces his farewell tour.

“He’s giving fans exactly what they could want in a final hurrah: some of his all-time biggest hits, played with his classic gusto!” – Billboard

Due to overwhelming demand, superstar Elton John, recently crowned by Billboard as the most successful performing male solo artist of all time, added 25 additional North American concert dates to his sold out Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, including two shows at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7, 2019. The tour will make stops in Salt Lake City, Tacoma, Memphis, Charlotte and Western Canada as well as return dates in Toronto, Philadelphia, Nashville, Cleveland and more.

The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour kicked off to a sold-out crowd on September 8 in Allentown, PA. Taking the audience on a magical journey through his career, the show features some of Elton’s most beloved songs from his legendary catalogue including, “Bennie and the Jets,” “Rocket Man,” “Tiny Dancer,” and “Philadelphia Freedom.” Elton’s music has taken him to many places, opened many doors and inspired many passions in his life. The audience will experiences a rare glimpse into Elton’s life and the deeply personal meaning behind some of his greatest hits, with mesmerizing, never-before-seen photos and videos shown throughout the show from his incredible 50-year career.

“Elton John’s ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour is a celebration of one of music’s and pop culture’s most legendary and unrivaled performers,” said Jay Marciano, Chairman and CEO, AEG Presents, promoters of the global ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour. “Just as he has promised his millions of fans, it’s more than just an unforgettable performance of the most iconic and loved music of his career, it’s a look back at all our lives and how Elton John’s music has been interwoven into the social, political and cultural history of our world. It is an honor to be part of the team of the industry’s most talented people that have together created the ultimate tribute to music’s most incomparable artist.” 

Tickets for these dates go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, October 5 at 10am local time. Tickets and VIP packages can be purchased at EltonJohn.com.  

American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Thursday, September 27 at 10am local time through Monday, October 1 at 10pm local time. A limited number of exclusive VIP packages will also be available starting Thursday, September 27 at 10am local time. These exclusive offers can include premium tickets, on-stage photo opportunities at Elton John’s piano, backstage tours, limited-edition lithographs, custom merchandise and much more.

The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour presale is powered by Ticketmaster Verified Fan; a fan-first technology that was built to help artists combat ticket bots and get tickets into the hands of fans that intend to go to the event.  Tickets for these events will be available through registration using Ticketmaster Verified Fan. Members of The Rocket Club will receive priority access to Verified Fan tickets at the beginning of the official presale period (Verified Fan registration is required.) For events on sale October 5, registration is available now through Friday, September 28 at 10pm local time.  Verified TM fan presale will begin Tuesday, October 2 at 10am and run through Wednesday, October 3 at 10pm local time, supplies are limited. For events on sale after October 5, please check with EltonJohn.com for registration and presale details. Registration is required to participate in the TM Verified Fan Presale. TM Verified Fan Registration for all shows will begin Wednesday, September 26 at 8am local time. For more information and to register in advance, visit EltonJohn.com.

In the course of his three-year FAREWELL YELLOW BRICK ROAD worldwide tour, Elton John plans to visit North America multiple times. Please visit EltonJohn.com often for new concert announcements.

ABOUT ELTON JOHN:

Elton’s career achievements to date are unsurpassed in their breadth and longevity. Elton is one of the top-selling solo artists of all time, with 38 gold records and 31 platinum and multi-platinum albums, over 50 Top 40 hits, and he has sold more than 300 million records worldwide. He holds the record for the biggest-selling single of all time, “Candle in the Wind 1997,” which sold over 33 million copies. ‘Diamonds’ the Ultimate Greatest Hits album, reached the Top 5 of the UK album charts on its release in November 2017, becoming Elton’s 40th UK Top 40 album in the process, reaching Gold status before the end of the year. This release celebrated 50 years of his songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. Forging one of the most dominant musical resumes, Elton was named the number 1 male solo recording artist of all time by Billboard in 2018. He has also written the music for stage and screen successes Billy Elliot: The Musical, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, and The Lion King, which was named the highest-grossing stage show or film release in the world. To date, Elton has delivered more than 4,000 performances in more than 80 countries since launching his first tour in 1970. Among the many awards and honors bestowed upon him are 5 GRAMMYs including a GRAMMY Legend award, a Tony and an Oscar, a Best British Male Artist BRIT Award, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Kennedy Center Honors, Legend of Live Award, 13 Ivor Novello Awards and a knighthood from HM Queen Elizabeth II for “services to music and charitable services.” In January, he received the Crystal Award for this long-standing fight against HIV/AIDS at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In 1992, Elton established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which today is one of the leading nonprofit HIV/AIDS organizations and has raised over $400 million to date in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

ABOUT AEG PRESENTS:

AEG Presents is one of the world’s largest live music companies. The company is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including producing and promoting global concert tours, regional music events and world-renowned festivals. AEG Presents operates in North America, Europe and Asia with 15 regional offices. Touring artists include Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Elton John, Celine Dion, Kenny Chesney and more. The festival roster includes the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Stagecoach, Desert Trip, Firefly, Hangout, and British Summertime at Hyde Park, totaling more than 40. The company owns, manages or exclusively promotes in more than 75 clubs and theaters worldwide, including Agora Theatre, Cleveland; Forest Hills Stadium and Webster Hall, New York; Shrine Auditorium and The Fonda, Los Angeles and Eventim Apollo, London. AEG presents more than 12,000 shows annually and conducts business under such globally renowned brands as AEG Presents, Goldenvoice, The Bowery Presents, Concerts West, Messina Touring Group, Marshall Arts LTD, and Madison House Presents.  For more information visit www.aegpresents.com.

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The Rocket Man Show      

• Wed Apr 24, 2024 at 7:30PM Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 7:30PM Buy Now

This is Elton! Crash land into your seat with THE ROCKET MAN SHOW , starring Scotsman Rus Anderson – Elton John’s official 70’s body double as featured in the ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ world tour. Chosen by the man himself, Rus’ performance pilots a night of greatest hits, gorgeous costumes and fierce piano playing. Currently featured on E!’s ‘Clash of the Cover Bands’, Rus’ portrayal of Elton has been described as “Amazing” by Jimmy Fallon and “Phenomenal” by Queen’s Adam Lambert. The Rocket Man Show has quickly joined the list of must-see tickets in town and is perhaps summed up best by ‘All About That Bass’ megastar Meghan Trainor who claims “You IS Elton!”

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Elton John Through the Years: From ‘Tiny Dancer’ and ‘Rocket Man’ to His Farewell Tour

1967 to 1970.

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Elton John established himself as a legend in the music industry with his talent in composition and songwriting.

Born as Reginald Dwight, the British musician learned piano at an early age and earned a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at 11 years old. John studied at the school for five years before forming his own band, Bluesology, in 1962. While working at a music publishing company, John took solo gigs at a London hotel bar and played with his band. By the mid-1960s, Bluesology backed musicians like the Isley Brothers and Major Lance and became the supporting band for singer Long John Baldry .

John left Bluesology and met lyricist Bernie Taupin in 1967. Shortly after recording their first song, “Scarecrow,” John began going by the name Elton John in homage to Baldry and the saxophonist of Bluesology, Elton Dean . John and Taupin formed one of the most prolific and successful songwriting partnerships in music history, collaborating on albums Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973), Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975), 21 At 33 (1980), Songs From the West Coast (2001) and The Diving Board (2013). They were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992.

After finding success with 1973 albums Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road , John and Taupin founded the Rocket Record Company. By 1975, the pressures of stardom took a toll on John, and he developed a drug and alcohol addiction along with bulimia. John shared more about his battle with addiction and his sobriety journey in a 2002 CNN interview with the late Larry King .

“It took me 16 years to say those three words — I need help,” John said at the time. “My pride was killing me. It’s — you think you don’t have a problem.”

Despite the AIDS epidemic surfacing in the 1980s, John still couldn’t bring himself to change his lifestyle. It wasn’t until he met Ryan White , an American teenager who contracted HIV through a contaminated blood transfusion, that John decided to embark on the path to sobriety. Upon White’s death in 1990, John entered recovery and created the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992.

“I had the luck to meet Ryan White and his family. I wanted to help them, but they ended up helping me much more,” John said during a Harvard University talk in 2017. “Ryan was the spark that helped me recover from my addictions and start the AIDS Foundation. Within six months [of White’s death], I became sober and clean, and have been for 27 years.”

John continued his career sober, and has toured around the world and performed at Madison Square Garden over 70 times. He announced his retirement in 2018 and embarked on a three-year farewell tour in September of that year. The tour took a two-year pause because of the coronavirus pandemic but concluded in 2023 in Stockholm.

Keep scrolling to see the singer’s life in photos:

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Joni Mitchell Rewrites ‘I’m Still Standing’ and Metallica Slays ‘Love Lies Bleeding,’ Among Standouts in PBS’ Touching Elton John/Bernie Taupin Tribute: TV Review

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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Even on a day when much of America was hoping to see the sun go out, there’s still an ongoing need to hear someone sing “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” That, among many other things, is what’s offered in tonight’s PBS broadcast of a tribute special for Elton John and Bernie Taupin , two of the worthiest talents ever to be awarded the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize. If you’re a fan — and who isn’t?, as they say — the two-hour show will provide a total eclipse of all your other most pressing entertainment needs.

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Unless it is supplanted by Metallica’s take on “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding,” in which no quarter is taken and at least a little blood is drawn. For better or worse, the opening all-instrumental section isn’t immediately recognizable in Metallica’s transformation, but it certainly is by the time it gets to the main course, at which point you may be thinking: Does it go against the laws of nature for Metallica to be playing in a major key? Anyway, it works, to have Elton’s most hard-rocking song ever go a little harder. The tech team is judicious with the reaction shots, but surely there is a lot of rattling of jewelry going on in the balcony of Washington’s DAR Revolution Hall, where some of the visiting politicos sit, and it’d be nice to think some of them were inspired to deface the bathrooms afterward.

Everything else in these two hours was a little more likely to show up on your bingo card for a John/Taupin tribute. After Joni got the Gershwin Prize last year, the Library of Congress quickly moved on to Carlile’s other well-established hero-BFF, and so it’s little surprise, and not the slightest bit unwelcome, to see her show up repeatedly here. Leaving her old concert cover of “Rocket Man” behind (actually, no one does that here), Carlile’s first selection of the night is “Madman Across the Water,” which is cool enough, all the way down to an extended coda in which the singer doesn’t have anything to do but happily stroll back and forth between Sista Strings on one side of the stage and guitarist Davey Johnstone on the other, as they do their respective things. (Kudos for the frequent use of the two-woman Sista Strings section in general, a nice, minimalist callback to the larger mastery of string arranger Paul Buckmaster’s classic work.)

But the more exquisite of Carlile’s two song choices is “Skyline Pigeon,” and not just because it’s under-covered and great. Context counts for almost everything with this one, as her rendition caps a segment devoted to the long history of John’s AIDS Foundation, and specifically to the HIV-stricken boy that won Elton’s and the world’s heart in the ’80s, Ryan White. White’s sister reads an open letter that John wrote to his late friend 20 years after his 1990 passing, talking about how the death of an “innocent” helped change hearts and minds, even though, in Elton’s words, “You reminded America that all victims of AIDS are innocent.” It’s a valuable history lesson squeezed into a tight space, even for those of us who need reminders, and the dollar figure cited for what the AIDS Foundation has raised — $600 million — is its own testament to John’s legacy, apart from the music. John is weeping through this segment, and it will be Cry Along With Elton night for parts of the audience, too.

Not that you’d ever want to bet against Elton’s tastemaker instincts, but each protege has to prove himself, and Lusk really does it here by doing something original with “Bennie.” That mid-’70s oldie is a great but virtually un-coverable song, which no one could possibly make sound weirder than the original, and which only suffers from any attempt to straighten it out. But Lusk has the voice of an angel — a very loud angel — and the quasi-gospel treatment finally answers the long-simmering question of whether “Bennie” should just be left alone as a cover choice or not. Actually, his contribution here is just as must-see as Mitchell’s and Metallica’s.

The other contributions all fall somewhere the serviceable-to-spectacular spectrum. Charlie Puth is probably one of the few pop stars around qualified to recreate Elton’s piano part on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” even if you might wish a song that emotionally intense had been given to someone with a more anguished-sounding voice. Lennox, who does not lack for vocal edge, shows why the world is still hungering for every crumb she occasionally throws out in the tributes she infrequently appears at these days with her wall-flattening “Border Song.”

Billy Porter, the show’s host, traverses the aisles with exactly the song you know he’s going to do, “The Bitch Is Back.” (It comes with a reminder that “in 2024 I don’t want you to be offended by the word ‘bitch.’ The queer community uses it as a love letter.” Were we really worried about this? Well, it is PBS, so OK.) His fringe-y dress and leggy look is likely an homage to Tina Turner, who used to duet with John on the rocker before they had a falling out. Maren Morris, who has a nice history of covering Elton, turns on the AC with “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues.” Garth Brooks, a Gershwin honoree of a few years back himself, gets double-duty with “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” and “Daniel,” both reminders that, among all the other things we forget to remember about Garth, he can capably sing just about anything from the great Anglo-American songbook that crosses his mind.

But it is ours to celebrate, and it’s a delight to see these two being given their due as a team, whose respect and appreciation for each other has grown over 55 years, by the accounts given. This show is also implicitly a tribute to the Elton John Band, who perform behind a majority of the singers before backing a salmon-coated Elton himself for the final three songs, “Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters,” “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” and “Your Song.” If we feared we’d seen the last of them as a particular ensemble at Dodger Stadium in November 2022, Johnstone’s appearance on this series as musical director as well as guitarist is a nice assurance that revivals of the old gang can and will occur.

Producer Ken Ehrlich, of decades of Grammy fame, has been characteristically canny with the choices of tribute-payers here. But with two honorees this year instead of one, he also knows that the best tributes that can be paid are the ones that the composer and lyricist are able to pay each other. That comes through in their mutual testimonials about each other, but it really comes through with the closing rendition of “Your Song,” in which we get a sight we’ve probably never seen before, between these two typically long-distance collaborators: Taupin, leaning on John’s red piano, taking it all in as stoic, appreciative glances are exchanged. It’s unexpectedly touching to see these two on stage, alone together, for the length of a piece of music. Gracious is definitely not the hardest word.

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Kerrang!: Watch Metallica honour Elton John with a badass cover of Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding

There’s been a long-running and very wholesome mutual love and respect between Metallica and Elton John – from the Rocket Man appearing on 2021’s huge The Blacklist Album, to calling Nothing Else Matters “one of the best songs ever written” in an interview and making James Hetfield well up.

And now, ’Tallica are sharing their appreciation right back, honouring Elton and his equally legendary songwriting partner Bernie Taupin at a tribute concert in Washington, D.C. for the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

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Joni Mitchell Covers Elton John's 'I'm Still Standing' — and Changes the Lyrics — at the Gershwin Prize Ceremony

John and Bernie Taupin were honored at the ceremony in Washington, which took place last month

Emma McIntyre/Getty; Kevin Mazur/Getty

Joni Mitchell is paying tribute to the Rocket Man.

During a Monday night airing of the Gershwin Prize ceremony in Washington, Mitchell took the stage to perform Elton John 's 1983 hit "I'm Still Standing" in his honor.

Mitchell — who was awarded the Gershwin Prize for popular song last year — was introduced by Brandi Carlile , and she told the crowd that the song means a lot to Mitchell, 80.

Per Carlile's introduction, Mitchell received a blessing from John, 77, and Bernie Taupin, 73, who was also honored that night by The Library of Congress, to change some of the lyrics to fit her style.

"[It's] honestly the most Joni Mitchell thing I've ever heard of," Carlile, 42, said in the since-deleted video, prompting a laughing reaction from the crowd.

During her performance, Mitchell also played with the arrangement by giving it a jazzy feeling and was standing the entire time. She sang with a backing band including Carlile, Annie Lennox, Blake Mills and Davey Johnstone.

John and Taupin sat together during the performance and were smiling and waving their hands in the air when the camera panned to them.

The ceremony happened last month at Washington's DAR Constitution Hall and included more performances by Maren Morris ,  Metallica , Lennox and Carlile. John took the stage to perform his songs “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” and “Saturday Night’s Alright." 

John and Taupin's Gershwin Prize comes after the "Cold" singer reached  EGOT  status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) in January when his Disney+ special,  Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium ,  took home the Emmy for best variety special .

Meanwhile, earlier this year, Mitchell took the stage at the 2024 Grammy Awards for a history-making performance of "Both Sides Now."

"Whether we know it or not any one of us out here who ever dreamed of becoming a truly self-revealing singer-songwriter did it standing on the shoulders of one, Joni Mitchell," Carlile, who introduced her performance, said.

Taylor Hill/WireImage

"Joni is one of the most influential and emotionally generous creators in human history," she continued. "She redefined the very purpose of a song to reflect the contents of a person's soul and before she took this leap, the popular song was observational. It was brilliant and influential, of course, but the exhilarating risk that we all now take by turning ourselves inside out for all the world to see started as far as I can tell with Joni Mitchell doing it first."

That night, she also won her 10th Grammy for best folk album.

In July 2022, Mitchell marked her first live performance in 20 years at the Newport Folk Festival, which was recorded and released in the form of the 2023 album. The singer, who had a brain aneurysm in 2015, said it took some time to get back into singing and playing the guitar again.

"I'm learning," she said. "I'm looking at videos that are on the net to see where I put my fingers, you know. It's amazing what an aneurysm knocks out – how to get out of chair!... You have to relearn everything."

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