Despite Donald Trump’s longtime affection for the musician and his effort to book him for his inauguration, Elton John got in touch with President Joe Biden’s team to inquire about playing at the White House.
John, who will perform on the South Lawn on Friday night, “his team expressed an interest on his behalf,” according to a White House representative.
While the current first couple is a fan, Donald Trump, who served as Biden’s predecessor in the White House, had a longstanding friendship with John and was rumoured to be “obsessed” with him.
John said he would perform at a state dinner if Trump ever hosted officials from the UK, similar to what he did in February 1998 when he played for then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a state dinner during the administration of Bill Clinton. John declined to perform at Trump’s inauguration.
Trump has never invited the British to an event like this.
As the headlining act for “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme,” which honours the singer’s life and career and celebrates the healing power of music, John will now perform in front of a commander in chief.
On the South Lawn of the White House, a sizable white tent was erected to transform it into a concert venue for the pop star’s performance. The lawn, which is a portion of the White House complex’s 18 acres, can accommodate thousands of people.
Teachers, nurses, frontline employees, mental health advocates, students, and LGBTQ+ advocates will be in attendance, according to the White House. A+E Networks guests, Sir Elton John, and White House employees will all be present.
The event is funded by The History Channel and A+E Networks. A+E will telecast the concert at a later time.
On his farewell tour, John. He will perform at Nationals Stadium in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night.
When both men appeared on Stephen Colbert’s late-night talk show in November 2017, Biden and John first interacted with one another.
As the nation recovers from the COVID pandemic, the White House is hosting more events and guests overall. This includes a concert.
Last week, James Taylor performed at a White House event honouring the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act. For the event, thousands of guests crowded the South Lawn.
But Trump has a long-standing obsession with Elton John.
Trump even believed that the musician’s music was essential to improving relations between the United States and North Korea. Kim Jung Un received an autographed CD with John’s song “Rocket Man” after the two men met in Singapore in 2018.
He’d given Kim a moniker based on the song.
The New York Times claims that Trump also tried to convince John to perform at his 2017 inauguration.
The singer said no.
John reportedly sent a letter to the president-elect saying, “Thank you very much for the incredibly wonderful offer to perform at your inauguration.” “I’ve thought about it a lot, and as a British National, I don’t think it’s proper for me to play at the inauguration of an American President,” the performer said. Thank you for your understanding.
Then he offered to perform at a state banquet honouring Anglo-American ties.
John said, “I was honoured to play at a UK State Dinner at the White House during the Clinton administration, and I would be glad to do the same for you if the occasion comes. I want to wish you well in your presidency as well. I have a profound affection for America since it has always embraced me and my music with kindness, tolerance, and open arms.
John has performed at Melania Knauss and Donald Trump’s third wedding in 2005.
Even though the artist had qualms about it, “Tiny Dancer,” one of John’s best-known songs, was a mainstay at Trump campaign rallies.
In 2016, John said to The Guardian, “I genuinely don’t want my music to have anything to do with an American political campaign.” I am British. I’ve met Donald Trump, and he was quite kind toward me. It’s nothing personal; his political ideas are his own, whereas mine are totally different and I would never consider myself a Republican.
And Trump boasted about all the records set by Elton John that he had broken, contrasting the crowds at his campaign rallies with those at Elton John performances performed in the same location.
The good news! At #SNHUArena in Manchester, New Hampshire, we surpassed the previous attendance record set by Elton John tonight! In August 2019, Trump tweeted.
Additionally, during his administration, Trump declared: “I have smashed more Elton John records” during a gathering in Montana. It seems that he has a lot of records.
And I don’t own a musical instrument, just so you know. The guitar and the organ are not mine. no organ Elton has a keyboard. in addition to a large number of others. No, we’ve made several records. Almost all records have been broken by us.