The Rocket Man certainly got his Canadian flowers on Saturday night as Elton John received the Glenn Gould Prize at an all-star gala held at The Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto.
The 79-year-old British singer-songwriter-pianist, who was joined by his Canadian husband (and Scarborough native) David Furnish, seated in the centre of the theatre’s floor surrounded by black-tie attendees at circular tables, told the crowd later from the stage that he felt part of this country in no uncertain terms.
“It’s so nice to be in Canada and have a concert full of Canadian artists who I all know,” said John, who owns a luxury penthouse apartment with Furnish and their two boys in downtown Toronto along King St. “It’s also nice to be in a country that has common sense. I have a family here. David, my husband, his family is my family and they live in Toronto and they’re part of my life and part of my soul. My children, they love it here so much. They love their cousins and their family. It is part of my life. I am a Canadian and I can tell you, it’s not the 51st f—ing state!”
That was a reference, in case you forgot, to U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier suggestion that Canada become just that.
The musician, who went to the Royal Academy of Music in London to study classical piano between the ages of 11 and 15 before turning to a hugely successful career of pop, rock and blues, received the Glenn Gould honours after two and half hours of his music was performed by other artists.
The all-Canadian lineup of stars included Diana Krall, The Beaches and Sarah McLachlan — their versions ofTiny DancerandThe Bitch is Back, respectively, were standouts — Ron Sexsmith, and the Toronto Children’s Chorus, the latter who also excelled atCan You Feel The Love Tonight?fromThe Lion King.
All songs and speeches filmed
Cameras recorded all the performances and speeches, and hopefully, a broadcaster will decide to show this very worthwhile evening of music.
Rising homegrown stars like Jeremy Dutcher and LOONY — who delivered two other highlights withI’m Still StandingandMona Lisas and Mad Hatters, respectively — along with Saya Gray also performed alongside 18-year-old classical pianist Ryan Wang, mezzo soprano Emily D’Angelo (who also thrilled on Aida’sI Know The Truth), and National Ballet Of Canada dancer Noah Parets (who danced toElectricityfrom Billy Elliott). Another Scarborough native, Eric McCormack ofWill and Gracefame, hosted the evening.
McCormack, who later sang John’sThe Greatest Discovery, joked about how he and Furnish began their early lives as classmates doing musical theatre in high school.
“We lost track of each other after high school but 15 years later I was playing a gay man on NBC and David was dating Elton John,” said McCormack. “Which goes to show you, musical theatre is just a solid investment in your future. Encourage your sons.”
Also making taped video appearances were Bryan Adams, Joni Mitchell and Michael Buble, the latter who spoke about John’s kindness when Buble’s three-year-old son, Noah, was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2016 (he’s since gone into remission as of 2017).
“I was especially touched by Michael Buble’s video,” said John, who retired from the road in 2023. “I couldn’t have imagined when I heard about what he was going through so we reached out.”
Meanwhile, D’Angelo was personally selected by John to receive the Glenn Gould Protégé Prize worth $25,000 recognizing exceptional promise and the importance of mentorship in the arts.
“Music is about learning and learning all the time,” said John, who joined the other performers on stage for an all-star finale ofGoodbye Yellow Brick Road.
“I’ve had eye trouble recently (blind in his right eye and compromised vision in his left eye after an infection) and I’ve always made my music by looking at lyrics, and so I’m about f—ed. What my eye has given is a challenge, completely reversing how I write. Writing melodies first, the lyrics come second. I’ve never done that and I’ve just done that. I’ve just done an album.”
With a career spanning more than five decades, John has sold over 327 million albums worldwide and achieved more than 50 Top 40 hits.
A member of the rare EGOT circle, he has earned five Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards, an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award.
In 1992, he also began the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has raised more than USD $650 million for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.
“If you’re successful and you have a wonderful life and I’ve had a wonderful life, you have to give back,” John said.
“You don’t have to give money, just give time. Go and look after someone for a day. It’s not about money. It’s about caring and love.”
Established in 1987, the Glenn Gould Prize is awarded biennially and includes a $100,000 award for the Laureate.
