Roger Daltrey Plays Capitol To Honor Churchill

Congress honored Winston Churchill with a bust and a performance by another famous Briton, The Who’s Roger Daltrey.

Senate and House leaders, as well as Secretary of State John Kerry, gathered Wednesday to dedicate the Churchill bust, which will now stand in the Capitol as a testament to the strength of the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. Daltrey sang, “Stand by Me,” and House Speaker John Boehner said the song was a tribute to the U.S.-U.K. relationship.

Daltrey also performed the Who classic “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” The pair of songs had Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi bobbing their heads in bipartisan unity.

Afterward, Daltrey was swarmed by fans – several members of Congress among them – hoping for a photo with the singer.

Boehner did not show much emotion during the musical performance. But he appeared to tear up as he talked about Churchill, “the best friend the United States ever had.”

Photo: Molly Riley/AP

The Who frontman poses in front of a bust of Winston Churchill in Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill in Washington.

“He saw in America the very exceptionalism we see today,” Boehner said.