Metallica will participate in a tribute to Elton John and Bernie Taupin . The songwriting duo will receive the Gershwin Prize from the Library of Congress for popular music in the United States. The tribute concert will take place in Washington.
The ceremony will take place on March 20th. Metallica will perform along with Annie Lennox, Garth Brooks, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Billy Porter, Charlie Puth, and Jacob Lusk of Gabriels , with guest appearances by John and Taupin. The event will be by invitation only, but will be streamed and broadcast on television. Billy Porter will be the host.
On their website , Metallica wrote about their participation: “Elton and Bernie have been collaborating for 56 years and counting, and together they have written some of the most memorable and influential songs of our lives. We are thrilled to celebrate this honor with them, and we look forward to an incredible night of unique performances from their remarkable collection of songs.”
The relationship between Metallica and Elton John
In 2022, James Hetfield participated in a program alongside Elton John. Their admiration was evident. On that occasion, Elton praised "Nothing Else Matters": "For me, this is one of the best songs ever written. It's a song that never gets old. And I couldn't wait to play this track. The string structure, the melodies, the changes in tempo, it's completely dramatic." This visibly moved James.
Drummer Lars Ulrich commented on the situation: “To be able to hear what you just said, Elton, and sitting here next to James, who's been doing this for 40 years together, the reaction I could feel in his body language when you said it was one of the best songs ever written…”. And at that moment Ulrich says to Hetfield while patting him on the back: “and I know how much this means to you”.
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