Elton John and Bernie Taupin honoured with Library of Congress Gershwin Prize in PBS TV Special

PBS has aired a tribute ceremony, honouring Elton John and Bernie Taupin and with the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize.

Celebrating the 55-year collaboration between the two musical icons, the tribute on April 8th, featured several artists, who covered the iconic duo’s greatest hits.

Heavy metal band Metallica opened the show with a hard-rock rendition of John and Taupin’s “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.”

Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, who received the Gershwin Prize in 2023, was lauded for her performance of the duo’s “I’m Still Standing” in light of her own physical recovery.

Folk rock singer Brandi Carlile covered “Skyline Pigeon” for a segment recognizing Elton John’s AIDS Foundation over the years.

Courtesy: Library of Congress

Alongside big names emerging in the 80s and 90s, recent artists like Charlie Puth and Maren Morris performed covers of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” and “I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues,” respectively.

Annie Lennox lit up the stage with her version of “Border Song,” with country singer Garth Brooks and Gabriels’ Jacob Lusk also adding dynamic performances to the line-up.

The ceremony’s host, Billy Porter, was also a performer at the ceremony, covering Elton and Bernie’s “The Bitch is Back.”

Courtesy: Library of Congress

Longtime music legends Paul McCartney and Carole King made appearances in video tributes.

The ceremony concluded with a moving performance of “Your Song” by the legendary duo themselves.