Sir Elton John will be performing at the White House on Friday evening.
The event, titled “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme,” is scheduled to take place on the South Lawn.
The construction of a large stage for the event is currently underway.
According to a press release from the White House, the evening “will celebrate the unifying and healing power of music, commend the life and work of Sir Elton John, and honor the every day history-makers in the audience, including teachers, nurses, frontline workers, mental health advocates, students, LGBTQ+ advocates and more.”
President Joe Biden and the First Lady are both expected to speak.
John previously performed at the White House in 1998 during a dinner hosted by then-President Bill Clinton for then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The 75-year-old singer politely turned down a request for him to perform at former President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“Thank you so much for the extremely kind invitation to play at your inauguration,” John wrote to Trump, according to a report from the New York Times. “I have given it at lot of thought, and as a British National I don’t feel that it’s appropriate for me to play at the inauguration of an American President. Please accept my apologies.”
However, John added, “I was honoured to perform at a White House State Dinner for the UK during the Clinton presidency and I would be delighted to do the same for you if the opportunity arises. I also want to wish you every success with your presidency. I love America deeply, a country that has always welcomed me and my music with kind, tolerant and open arms.”
John had performed at Trump’s third wedding, to Melania Knauss, in 2005.
The New York Daily News notes that Biden “wrote of fond memories set to John’s music in his 2017 memoir, ‘Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose,’ including singing his songs to son Beau at the hospital after he was diagnosed with brain cancer.”
The Tiny Dancer singer is also scheduled to perform at Nationals Park on Saturday.
Last week, singer James Taylor performed at the White House during an event celebrating the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.
