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Canadian Artists Salute Elton John at Glenn Gould Prize Gala in Toronto
Elton John was honored at Toronto’s Glenn Gould Prize gala as Canadian artists covered his songs and he accepted the award in person.
Elton John is not Canadian, despite a strong and apparently flexible case made on Saturday night in Toronto. The British singer was in the room at the Glenn Gould Prize gala, where a roster of Canadian musicians marked his career with performances and, for one night at least, treated him like a local institution. The award itself is handed out every two years and has previously gone to figures including Leonard Cohen, Philip Glass, and Oscar Peterson.
The ceremony took place at the Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, with John present to accept the honor in person. According to the Toronto Star reports, he addressed the crowd by saying, “I am a Canadian. Canada is part of my life and embedded in my soul.” That may settle the question more decisively than geography ever could. His husband, David Furnish, is Canadian. John received the prize’s gold sculpture and $100,000, and also selected the Glenn Gould Protégé Prize recipient, which comes with $25,000. He gave that award to Toronto mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo, who performed “I Know The Truth” from his musical Aida during the ceremony.
D’Angelo was part of a wider tribute built around John’s songs, with several Canadian artists taking turns on some of the most recognizable material in his catalog. The Beaches performed “The Bitch Is Back,” while Sarah McLachlan sang “Tiny Dancer.” Diana Krall covered “Our Song,” Loony took on “Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters,” and Ron Sexsmith performed “Blues For My Baby And Me.” Saya Gray also played “Honky Cat,” though there doesn’t appear to be video of that performance online.
By the end of the night, John was back onstage with the performers for a group rendition of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” a finale that made the whole event feel less like a standard awards presentation than a public acknowledgement of how deeply his music has settled into Canadian pop culture. Before the show, Polaris and Juno winner Jeremy Dutcher and other artists were also interviewed.
