“We are beyond excited and proud to have been invited to perform at a very special event honoring the legendary songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin”

Metallica's James Hetfield and Elton John. Credit: Scott Legato and Simone Joyner via GETTY

Metallica’s James Hetfield and Elton John. Credit: Scott Legato and Simone Joyner via GETTY

Metallica have announced that they will be among the artists who will perform in honour of Elton John and Bernie Taupin at the 2024 Gershwin Prize.

The metal icons took to their official X/Twitter account to share that they will be in attendance and are set to perform at the invitation-only ceremony on March 20. The event will include appearances by both John and Taupin, will be hosted by Billy Porter.

Graham Coxon & Rose Dougall on their debut as The Waeve

John and Taupin will be receiving the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. “We are beyond excited and proud to have been invited to perform at a very special event honoring the legendary songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin as they are presented with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song,” Metallica tweeted.

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“We are traveling to Washington, DC, next month to join Garth Brooks, Annie Lennox, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, and others for the tribute concert and award presentation on March 20. PBS stations nationwide will premiere the concert on Monday April 8 at 8pm ET (check local listings),available via broadcast and streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app,” (per Blabbermouth).

They continued: “Elton and Bernie have been collaborating for 56 years and counting, and together, they have penned some of our lifetime’s most memorable and influential songs. We are thrilled to celebrate this honor with them, and we look forward to an incredible evening of unique performances from their remarkable collection of songs.”

‘Elton John & Bernie Taupin: The Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song‘ will honour the longtime singer-songwriter duo as the two iconic artists receive this year’s distinguished recognition from the Library of Congress.
Elton John and Bernie Taupin attend the 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center on November 03, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame )Elton John and Bernie Taupin attend the 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center on November 03, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame )
Sharon Percy Rockefeller, president and CEO of WETA said in a statement: “Our long-standing partnership with the Library of Congress illuminates the incredible contributions made by exceptional songwriters and performers. Our viewers can anticipate a delightful evening celebrating Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s songwriting partnership and the duo’s influence on the music industry for nearly six decades. We are excited to honor these collaborators’ extraordinary contributions to popular music.”
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In other news, Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong recently described Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich as an “unorthodox” but “great” drummer.

“Lars has a really unorthodox way of playing,” Armstrong said during a recent interview with The Howard Stern Show.

“I think he’s a really creative drummer. I think as far as the metal drummers of his genre, even up until now, people that were influenced by Metallica, I think there is something very studious about the way other people play.”

Elsewhere, Elton John recently announced a new book detailing his five-year farewell tour, entitled Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour.