Sir Elton John has been
awarded France's highest civilian award, the Legion d'Honneur.
The British musician was
presented with the award by President Emmanuel Macron during a ceremony at the
Élysée Palace. President Macron's office praised Sir Elton, 72, as a
"melodic genius" and as one of the first gay artists to give a voice
to the LGBT community.
Elton John used his
acceptance speech to promote his charity work and The Elton John Aids
Foundation which has generated more than £310m for HIV prevention, education
and support.
During his speech he said how important the battle against AIDS
was to him: "Like music, the fight against AIDS has been my passion for
many many years.
And like music
this fight reminds me every day of the extraordinary power of the human spirit.
And that things that bind us are stronger than those that divide us. It is this
magical human spirit I will carry with me as a proud member of the Legion
d'Honneur.I have a huge love affair with France: I have a house here, I've always loved coming here, I love the French culture, the way of life and the French people."
The honour comes a month after the release of the Rocketman biopic. Sir Elton was in France as part of his farewell tour. Last year the pop legend announced he would be giving up touring to spend more time with his family.
He said he would say
goodbye to fans with a final world tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, which
includes more than 300 concerts over five continents.
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