Gershwin Prize

(audience applause).

ELTON: When I grew up as a little boy in suburban London, I grew up listening to Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy May and his Orchestra, all those wonderful people in the '50s.

And then suddenly I heard "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley and my whole world changed.

Um, and thank God it did because, I remember my mother bringing the 78 home, and that's all I wanted to do was to play rock and roll, after hearing that.

And then of course, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Ray Charles, all great piano players, came along and then they changed my life too.

Um, thank you, America for the music you've given us, all over the world.

It's an incredible legacy that you have, uh, all the wonderful blues, the jazz, the classical music, all the songs that the Gershwin Brothers wrote, it's just incredible.

We went through the Library of Congress last night, I just saw so many wonderful things.

Um, I'm so proud to be British, and to be here, in America to receive this award because all my heroes were American.

(audience applause).

And I got to meet most of them, too.

Um, what can I say?

Um, I'm very humbled by tonight, especially everyone who sang, performed.

Um, our life is pretty amazing, Bernie and I have been together for over 50-something years, and we're closer than we've ever been.

And I think that's pretty remarkable in this day and age, for two people in the business to be closer than they were when they started.

Um, I'm thrilled to be here with him because if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here.

He gives me the lyrics, and then I write the song.

Without the lyrics, I'd be working in any record store in the world, and come up with something that I haven't got, and that's the magic of music.

Every sort of music that I heard tonight is, fills my soul with fantastic feeling, and emotion.

There's something about rock and roll, blues, R&B, gospel, country, um, jazz, that fills your soul with emotion.

It pounds your soul.

Um, and we've been fortunate enough in the last few years, or the last 50-something years, to be a part of that.

And it kind of feels surreal, but it's a, it's wonderful being able to share it with somebody.

Being able to share success with somebody is the greatest thing you can ever have.

And he is some special person.

I love him so much.

I love what he's become, how happy he is, I love what I've become, and how happy I am.

We've both been through hell, and we've come through the other side, and it feels good.

(audience applause).

As I look at Davey, Heather, Georgie, um, they're our families.

And that's what is so important now.

Yes, our career is important, but nothing is more important than our children, our other halves, um, that's what life is all about at the end of the day.

Um, and it's an honor to be here in this incredible...

I saw Keith Jarrett here in the '70s, in the '80s rather, um, and it was one of the most memorable things that I've ever seen.

It's a wonderful building, it's a wonderful city, it's a wonderful country.

It's been responsible for everything that I love in my musical life.

Thank you so much for giving us so much music to love and adore, and it's more to come.

Thank you for this incredible honor!

(audience applause).

TAUPIN: Thank you so much.

I, I, basically he said most of everything that needs to be said.

But, um, I'd be remiss if I didn't thank all these wonderful, wonderful artists who have performed here tonight.

Along with, might I add the greatest band on the planet, next to Metallica, of course.

(audience applause).

Now, Elton said it all, I'm just, it's... beyond belief to be here tonight amongst so many of our, these extraordinary artists.

Uh, I'd just like to say that, quite honestly from, beside from some of the songs in the earliest, earliest of days of our writing, pretty much everything that I've written emanates from this country.

Uh, whether it's the heartland, whether it's the urban jungle, it's all been a palette for everything I've written, um...

I've lived here, I don't know how many of you know this, I've lived here most of my life.

Uh, pretty much from 1970 on.

And I have an American heart, an American soul, I am America, I have an American family, I have an American wife, I have American children... (audience laughter).

I am America, believe me.

(audience applause).

And everything, everything I have written emanates from the American songbook, which is The Fountainhead, thank you.

(audience applause).

ELTON: But he drives a Volvo, um... (audience laughter).

I wanna thank the incredible librarian Carla Hayden, what an incredible woman.

(audience applause).

And her beautiful mother down there!

One of the greatest gifts this week has given me, is meeting for the second or third time, Carla.

She's extraordinary.

Thank you for, President Obama, for making her the librarian, of the Library of Congress.

(audience applause).

Bless you.