Elton John Performing Friday Evening At TWH

Elton John

British pop legend Elton John is set to rock the White House on Friday night, playing for President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in a South Lawn performance the White House says "will celebrate the unifying and healing power of music," reports ABC News.

Biden has said his songs hold deep meaning for him and John, CNN reported, asked the White House if he could perform.

The event, dubbed "A Night When Hope and History Rhyme," is part of a collaboration with A&E Networks and The History Channel, according to the White House. The title of the event is a quote from Irish poet Seamus Heaney that Biden frequently uses in speeches and remarks, including when he accepted the Democratic nomination in 2020.

The event, before Cabinet secretaries and 2,000 invited guests, is to honor John's life and work, according to the White House, as well as to commemorate "the everyday history-makers in the audience, including teachers, nurses, frontline workers, mental health advocates, students, LGBTQ+ advocates and more."

Biden and his wife will make remarks.

John has a concert scheduled Saturday night at nearby Nationals Park, part of his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour." The 300-plus world tour dates are a farewell to his fans all over the world, according to the "Crocodile Rock" singer, part of a nearly 50-year career in music.

It's not the first time the singer has been at the White House. In 1998, President Bill Clinton invited him to play at a state dinner for then-U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, along with Stevie Wonder.