British pop star Sir Elton John performed in the garden of the White House at the invitation of US President Joe Biden.
Under a festive tent roof in front of the government headquarters, the 75-year-old played on a grand piano surrounded by hundreds of invited guests on Friday evening (local time) and sang his famous song "Your Song".
Elton John said at the beginning that he had performed in some beautiful places, but this was "the icing on the cake".
Biden and his wife Jill hosted the event, according to the White House, to celebrate "the healing and unifying power of music."
"Few things have the power to bring us together like music," said the First Lady.
“She can make us move together on the dance floor, sing along with strangers when we hear a familiar tune.
She is a voice for the feelings that we cannot always define.”
Biden raves about John
Joe Biden gushed that Elton John gave others a lot of hope in his musical career.
"Elton John's music changed our lives," said the President, adding to the pop star, "Thank you for moving the soul of our nation." At the end of the performance, he presented the singer with the National Humanities Medal.
"I'm never flabbergasted, but now I am," said a visibly touched John at the presentation of the medal, with which the US government honors people whose work has promoted understanding of the humanities.
John himself expressed the wish that the US would again be able to "overcome the political divisions".
According to the White House, there were around 2,000 guests in the audience, including former first lady Laura Bush, various cabinet members and congressmen, teachers, students, rescue workers, nurses, as well as activists and people who are campaigning against discrimination.
John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road global farewell tour kicked off in September 2018 in the US state of Pennsylvania and is scheduled to end in Sweden in July next year.
The 75-year-old was named the most important solo artist on Billboard's 2019 list of the greatest musicians of all time - and third overall after the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.