Elton John is now an EGOT. His Emmy Award on Monday (January 15th) — for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for “Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium” on Disney+ — completes a career grand slam for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. John has five Grammy Awards as well as a 2000 Tony Award for Best Original Score for the musical “Aida” and two Oscars for Best Original Song — “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” in 1994 from “The Lion King” and “(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again” in 2019 for the bio-ish pic “Rocketman.”
John was recovering from a knee injury and could not attend the Emmy ceremony in Los Angeles but issued a statement afterwards: “I am incredibly humbled to be joining the unbelievably talented group of EGOT winners tonight. The journey to this moment has been filled with passion, dedication, and the unwavering support of my fans all around the world. Tonight is a testament to the power of the arts and the joy that it brings to all our lives. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my career, I am incredibly grateful.”
John later posted a considerably longer message on social media, declaring that “I am on cloud nine!!”
John is the 19th artist to achieve EGOT status and only the third pop musician, joining John Legend and Jennifer Hudson.
The Emmy-winning Disney+ special captured the final North American performance of John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road. The show's final run during 2022 played primarily in stadiums, something longtime John band guitarist and musical director Davey Johnstone tells us the band enjoyed playing in those large outdoor venues:
“I've always loved all of the aspect of what we do. Y'know, for me the main thing in doing a stadium show is that people at the back get to see and hear what's going on, and nowadays thankfully high res audio is a whole different ballgame than it's ever been, so the sound is always great. And visually we have all these different stages of video screens. So, yeah, it's really good.” :32
John's Farewell Yellow Brook Road tour began September 8th 2018 and concluded July 8, 2023 in Sweden, grossing $939.1 billion. It boosted John's lifetime touring revenue to $3.18 billion.
John recently said that he's completed writing a new album with longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin, while the Who's Pete Townshend revealed that John has recorded a new album with Brandi Carlile. It's not yet known if those projects are one and the same.
In other news, John has announced a new auction of personal items, mostly from his former Condo in Atlanta, with Christie’s. “The Collection of Sir Elton John: Goodbye Peachtree Road” begins on February 21st.
