British singer Elton John has interrupted his farewell tour on Friday for a performance at the White House. US President and First Lady Joe and Jill Biden had invited the musician to thank him for his “huge commitment as an artist and activist”.
In the gardens surrounding the White House, a special stage had been built for John’s performance. The guest list of some 2000 visitors included teachers, nurses, rescue workers and LGBTI activists. Special guests included human rights advocate Ruby Bridges and AIDS activist Jeanne White-Ginder, whose son Ryan White was one of the first known AIDS patients.
The concert, which will be broadcast on American television later this year, was named A Night When Hope and History Rhyme, after a poem by Irish writer Seamus Heaney. Heaney is one of Biden’s favorite poets, and the president regularly quotes from the Irishman’s work. He also did that in the speech with which he introduced John on Friday. The president praised the singer for his activism for the gay community and AIDS victims. “He has used his voice to give voice to others.”