Elton John has won three of the four major show business awards and needs just an Emmy for his collection. This could be his year to finally complete the grand slam after sitting on third base since 2000.
He is scheduled to emcee the April 2 episode of “Saturday Night Live.” His only previous appearance on the show was back in 1982 when he was the musical guest. He will also be filling that role this time around with Leon Russell, his collaborator on the new album “The Union.”
Guest hosts of that long-running sketch show only became eligible for Emmy consideration two years ago. Justin Timberlake took Guest Comedy Actor in 2009 and Betty White won Guest Comedy Actress for her highly-rated appearance last year.
Surprisingly, it took till 1987 before Elton John took home his first Grammy. That win came in Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for “That’s What Friends Are For,” which he performed with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder.
As a composer, he shared the 1994 Best Song Oscar with lyricist TIm Rice for “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” from the Disney animated “The Lion King.” And as a singer, he won the first of his two Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Grammys for the single of that song. He also won that award for his heatfelt rendition of “Candle in the Wind” in 1997 dedicated to the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
John and Rice also collaborated on the live musical version of “The Lion King” which won six Tony Awards in 1998 but their Original Score lost to Ragtime.” However, they did prevail in this same Tony race in 2000 for “Aida.”
