Rush Limbaugh received media attention from the likes of CNN when it was revealed that Elton John performed at his wedding. While it comes as no surprise that a baby boomer like Limbaugh would be an Elton John
fan, I am surprised that Elton agreed to perform. Rush loves to shock and Elton likes to receive checks for his performances, so this is obviously a win-win situation. Elton and Rush actually have more in common than meets the eye: they are both older, white males; each has had issues with substance abuse; and both like to shock loyal audiences.
Unfortunately, my first experiences with Elton John's music involved a few of his '80's videos on MTV when I was around 5. Compared to Boy George and some other acts of that time, he didn't seem particularly effeminate or weird. He was a guy in a suit with big glasses singing pleasant songs with ease. While I wondered what "Rolling like thunder/ Under the covers" meant exactly, his music seemed non-threatening. The "Lion King" soundtrack came out later. While I enjoyed the film, especially the performances of Jeremy Irons and Rowan Atkinson, the music didn't blow me away compared to other Disney films. Later, I began to appreciate his work from the '70s after really listening to songs like "Rocket Man" and "Bennie and the Jets" for the first time as I approached my 20s. I wondered why he had ever parted ways with Bernie Taupin.
Rush Limbaugh never particularly interested me in his heyday. I was developing a distaste for the Republican Party, which had begun to seem kind of mean-spirited. His problems with painkillers actually made him more sympathetic and human in my eyes. I still do not understand the appeal of talk radio, but I prefer Limbaugh to Howard Stern any day of the week. He does have a certain charm with his calm, everyman version of political hysteria.
Despite their differences, Elton John helped Rush Limbaugh celebrate matrimonial bliss. It was a beautiful moment. In a country so divided by politics, it is wonderful that
these celebrities came together in peace. Limbaugh chose John to play his wedding based on his talent and ability, not his ideology. Isn't that what America is supposed to be about? Elton John provided part of the soundtrack to American life over three decades. Despite the sometimes silly outfits, tirades about other celebrities and personal difficulties, his music speaks for itself and he will always be an icon.