LOS ANGELES — Elton John has reached EGOT status.
The renowned British singer-pianist received an Emmy Award on Monday night for best variety special (live) for “Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium,” a three-hour concert documentary aired on Disney+.
John described himself as “incredibly humbled” to join the rare EGOT winners who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards.
“The journey to this moment has been filled with passion, dedication, and the unwavering support of my fans all around the world,” John, 76, said in a statement after earning his prize.
Elton John Achieves Rare EGOT Status With Emmy Win For Dodger Stadium Farewell Concert Special
The superstar singer has five competitive Grammys, the most recent for “Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida” in 2001; two Oscars for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from “The Lion King” in 1994 and “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman”; and a Tony for his original score on “Aida.”
He is one of the best-selling solo musicians of all time, and his 1997 single “Candle in the Wind” sold 33 million copies, making it the most successful physical single of all time.
John became the 19th individual to gain EGOT status, following Viola Davis’ Grammy win last year. Other performers with EGOTs include Whoopi Goldberg, Jennifer Hudson, and John Legend.
David Furnish, John’s husband and a producer on the concert special, said John was ecstatic Monday night to win his first Emmy and “screamed out loud.” Furnish stated that an “incredibly honoured” John could not attend the awards ceremony since he was recovering from recent surgery.
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Elton John Achieves Rare EGOT Status With Emmy Win For Dodger Stadium Farewell Concert Special
“We Facetimed him. We woke him up in the middle of the night,” Furnish explained, holding John’s trophy onstage. “He’s back in the United Kingdom. He has had his left knee replaced, which is hardly unexpected, given how many pianos he has jumped from.
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden congratulated John on X, the medium that was previously known as Twitter.
“Sir Elton John has been a tidal wave throughout his career to help people rise up and make hope and history rhyme,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
John’s show was the culmination of a three-night stint at the Los Angeles stadium as part of the North American phase of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which began in September 2018 with the first of over 300 scheduled events. It was postponed in 2020 due to the coronavirus epidemic and will resume in 2021.
Elton John Achieves Rare EGOT Status With Emmy Win For Dodger Stadium Farewell Concert Special
His final event, which drew over 50,000 people, featured guest appearances by emerging artists such as Dua Lipa and Brandi Carlile.
The singer’s special outperformed the Apple Music Super Bowl halftime performance featuring Rihanna, ABC’s Oscars ceremony, CBS’s Tony Awards telecast, and Netflix’s “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage.”
“Tonight is a testament to the power of the arts and the joy it brings to all our lives,” he remarked. “I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me during my career. “I am extremely grateful.”
SOURCE – (AP)
