OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
11:15 AM – Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Legendary musician Elton John is now a member of the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT) club after he won his first Emmy for best variety special (live) for “Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium.”
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On Monday evening, Elton John, 76, became a member of the EGOT winners club after he achieved an award in the best variety special (live) section.
However, the legendary musician was not in attendance on Monday evening because of a “knee op,” although he is “absolutely fine,” according to one of the producers of the special, Ben Winston.
John was in the process of healing from a knee operation and was unable to attend the show. Therefore, Winston was given the award on John’s behalf.
“He’s absolutely fine, but he wanted to send his love and thanks to the Television Academy for this incredible award,” Winston announced. “We did know this was going to be historic because it was going to win a man who has created the soundtrack to all of our lives. He’s done so much great for society, who is all of our heroes. We didn’t know that it was going to win him an EGOT.”
The performance was showcased on Disney Plus and was live-streamed from Los Angeles, California, which was the conclusion of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour of the United States in November 2022.
John made a statement that was given to multiple entertainment industry networks.
“I am incredibly humbled to be joining the unbelievably talented group of EGOT winners tonight,” John stated. “…Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my career, I am incredibly grateful.”
John is now the 19th individual to be awarded with all of the North American entertainment industry’s significant honors, following Viola Davis’ Grammy victory last year, which made her the 18th.
John has won five Grammy Awards (his first coming from “That’s What Friends Are For” in 1987), a 1994 Oscar for best original song (for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”), and a 2000 Tony Award for his score for Aida.
Some recipients that have become EGOT members in the past include actors Audrey Hepburn, Mel Brooks and Whoopi Goldberg, as well as composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice.
John’s husband David Furnish announced how the new EGOT club member was alerted about his win.
“We FaceTimed him. We woke him up in the middle of the night. He’s back in the U.K.; he’s had his left knee replaced,” Furnish stated backstage at the Emmys. “He screamed ‘Yes!’ was really happy, incredibly honored.”
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