Elton John Says ‘All My Heroes Were American’ After Winning Gershwin Prize

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Thank you ░░░░░░░░ for the music you ░░░░░░░░ given us all over ░░░░░░░░ world it s an ░░░░░░░░ Legacy that you have ░░░░░░░░ the wonderful Blues the ░░░░░░░░ the classical music all ░░░░░░░░ songs that the Gman ░░░░░░░░ wrote It s just ░░░░░░░░ we went through the ░░░░░░░░ of Congress last night ░░░░░░░░ just saw so many ░░░░░░░░ things um I m ░░░░░░░░ proud to be British ░░░░░░░░ to be here in ░░░░░░░░ to receive this award ░░░░░░░░ all my heroes were ░░░░░░░░ and I got to ░░░░░░░░ most of them too ░░░░░░░░ what can I say ░░░░░░░░ m I m very ░░░░░░░░ by tonight especially everyone ░░░░░░░░ sang and performed um ░░░░░░░░ life is pretty amazing ░░░░░░░░ and I have been ░░░░░░░░ for over 50 something ░░░░░░░░ and we re closer ░░░░░░░░ we ve ever been ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ remarkable in this day ░░░░░░░░ age for two people ░░░░░░░░ the business to be ░░░░░░░░ than they were when ░░░░░░░░ started um I m ░░░░░░░░ to be here with ░░░░░░░░ because if it wasn ░░░░░░░░ for him I wouldn ░░░░░░░░ be here he gives ░░░░░░░░ the lyrics and then ░░░░░░░░ write the song without ░░░░░░░░ lyrics I d be ░░░░░░░░ in you know who ░░░░░░░░ Walmart or somewhere like ░░░░░░░░ except we don t ░░░░░░░░ Walmart in England yet ░░░░░░░░ uh McDonald s probably ░░░░░░░░ now I d be ░░░░░░░░ in a record store ░░░░░░░░ as long as there ░░░░░░░░ records I can go ░░░░░░░░ any record store in ░░░░░░░░ world and come out ░░░░░░░░ something that I haven ░░░░░░░░ got and that s ░░░░░░░░ magic of me music ░░░░░░░░ sort of music that ░░░░░░░░ heard tonight is fills ░░░░░░░░ soul with fantastic feeling ░░░░░░░░ emotion there s something ░░░░░░░░ rock and roll Blues ░░░░░░░░ amp B gospel country ░░░░░░░░ that jazz that fills ░░░░░░░░ soul with emotion it ░░░░░░░░ your soul um and ░░░░░░░░ ve been fortunate enough ░░░░░░░░ the last few years ░░░░░░░░ the last 50 something ░░░░░░░░ to be a part ░░░░░░░░ that and it kind ░░░░░░░░ feels surreal but it ░░░░░░░░ a it s wonderful ░░░░░░░░ able to share it ░░░░░░░░ somebody the able to ░░░░░░░░ success with somebody is ░░░░░░░░ greatest thing you can ░░░░░░░░ have and he is ░░░░░░░░ special person I love ░░░░░░░░ so much I love ░░░░░░░░ he s become how ░░░░░░░░ he is I love ░░░░░░░░ I ve become and ░░░░░░░░ happy I am we ░░░░░░░░ both been through hell ░░░░░░░░ we ve come through ░░░░░░░░ other side and it ░░░░░░░░ beautiful it s a ░░░░░░░░ building it s a ░░░░░░░░ City It s a ░░░░░░░░ country it s been ░░░░░░░░ for everything that I ░░░░░░░░ in my musical life ░░░░░░░░ you so much for ░░░░░░░░ us so much music ░░░░░░░░ love and adore and ░░░░░░░░ s more to come ░░░░░░░░ you quite honestly from ░░░░░░░░ from some of the ░░░░░░░░ in the earliest earliest ░░░░░░░░ Days of our writing ░░░░░░░░ much everything that I ░░░░░░░░ written emanates from this ░░░░░░░░ uh whether it s ░░░░░░░░ Heartland whether it s ░░░░░░░░ urban Jungle it s ░░░░░░░░ been a pallet for ░░░░░░░░ I ve written um ░░░░░░░░ ve lived here I ░░░░░░░░ t know how many ░░░░░░░░ you know this I ░░░░░░░░ lived here most of ░░░░░░░░ life uh pretty much ░░░░░░░░ 1970 on and I ░░░░░░░░ an American Heart an ░░░░░░░░ soul I am America ░░░░░░░░ have an American family ░░░░░░░░ have an American Wife ░░░░░░░░ have American children I ░░░░░░░░ America believe and everything ░░░░░░░░ I have written eminates ░░░░░░░░ the American song book ░░░░░░░░ is the Fountain Head ░░░░░░░░ Applause you many drives ░░░░░░░░ B though um