Current:Home > InvestQueen Latifah, Billy Crystal and others celebrated at Kennedy Center Honors-InfoLens
Queen Latifah, Billy Crystal and others celebrated at Kennedy Center Honors
View Date:2024-12-23 14:11:57
The stars came to D.C. Sunday to celebrate this year's Kennedy Center Honorees: Billy Crystal, Dionne Warwick, Renée Fleming, Barry Gibb and Queen Latifah, who became the first female rapper to win the prestigious award.
Among the artists who paid tribute to the Honorees were Kerry Washington, Jay Leno, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Whoopi Goldberg, Cynthia Erivo, Sigourney Weaver, Clive Davis, Missy Elliott and Ben Platt.
The Honorees sat in the box tier with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Over the weekend they attended a reception at The White House and a dinner hosted by the State Department.
Here's a recap of the gala which will air on CBS-TV and stream on Paramount+ on December 27th.
Dionne Warwick (singer)
Known as a vocalist with impeccable phrasing and warmth, Warwick scored dozens of hit songs beginning in the 1960s.
In the 1980s, she was one of the first celebrities to raise awareness about the AIDS epidemic. Choreographer and actor Debbie Allen, a 2021 Kennedy Center Honoree, remembered the time Warwick visited a pediatric hospital.
"She was so overcome that she picked up one of the babies, gave them a hug and a kiss which created quite a stir because, by doing so, she dispelled the myth that you could catch aids through touch," Allen recalled.
In 1985, Warwick teamed up with Gladys Knight, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder to record "That's What Friends Are For," a song that won two Grammys and raised millions of dollars for AIDS research.
At the gala, her friend Gladys Knight performed "Say A Little Prayer" and Chloe Bailey sang "Walk on By."
Billy Crystal (actor, comedian, filmmaker)
"He can be edgy, but you always feel the human side of him and he's not afraid to show his emotion which is rare for most comedians," said Rob Reiner who directed Crystal in When Harry Met Sally. Crystal's co-star Meg Ryan said that acting with him "was effortless" and even gave him credit for that iconic scene in the deli, "The scene came really naturally to me and I really have Billy to thank for that," she joked.
Lin-Manuel Miranda performed a musical tribute to Crystal, the nine-time Academy Awards host. Whoopi Goldberg told the audience the Academy should give him a special Oscar for his legendary hosting skills, and poignantly recalled the Comic Relief shows she did with Crystal and Robin Williams.
Queen Latifah (rapper, singer, and actress)
Queen Latifah is now the first female rapper to win a Kennedy Center Honor. With songs like "U.N.I.T.Y." and "Ladies First," she took on hip hop at a time when it was even more male dominated than it is today. A number of female rappers came to the Kennedy Center to pay their respects including M.C. Lyte, Monie Love, Missy Elliott and Rapsody.
Kerry Washington explained that, when she was 8 years old, Dana Elaine Owens "flipped through a book of names and chose one as her own: Latifah, an Arabic name meaning gentle, kind and pleasant. This is how she saw herself. And then at age 17, when it was time to create her professional moniker, she added the title Queen. And in doing so, this young black woman from East Orange, New Jersey, crafted the lens through which the world would forever see her."
Renée Fleming (soprano)
Several opera stars came out to show their appreciation of Renée Fleming, a five time Grammy winner and U.S. National Medal of Arts recipient. Angel Blue, Julia Bullock, Ailyn Perez, Nadine Sierra and Patrick Summers
performed Rusalka's "Song to the Moon."
At the State Department dinner Saturday night, writer Ann Patchett said she became friends with Fleming after her novel Bel Canto was published. "Everybody thought it was a novel about her," Patchett said, "and it should have been...because the soprano that I wrote about had a peerless coloratura voice that could stop time."
Barry Gibb (singer, songwriter, record producer)
Guinness World Records and Billboard list Gibb as one of the two most successful popular songwriters of all time, alongside Paul McCartney. With his late brothers Robin and Maurice, the Bee Gees sold over 220 million records. Ariana DuBose, Little Big Town and Ben Platt were among the artists who performed some of his songs.
At the State Department dinner Saturday evening Gibb said, "I know that without my brothers, I wouldn't be standing here." He also had a message:
"I only have two words that have meant something to me for the last couple of years, and that is kindness and understanding," Gibb said, "And we seem to be losing that. We're losing it in the rest of the world. And we need to grab it back as quickly as possible."
This story was edited for digital and audio by Rose Friedman.
veryGood! (1793)
Related
- Arizona Supreme Court declines emergency request to extend ballot ‘curing’ deadline
- Top world leaders will speak at UN climate summit. Global warming, fossil fuels will be high in mind
- Travis Kelce's Ex Kayla Nicole Reveals How She Tunes Out the Noise in Message on Hate
- Federal judge blocks Montana's TikTok ban before it takes effect
- How Jersey Shore's Sammi Sweetheart Giancola's Fiancé Justin May Supports Her on IVF Journey
- Trump will hold a fundraiser instead of appearing at next week’s Republican presidential debate
- Entertainment consultant targeted by shooter who had been stalking his friend, prosecutors say
- Kathy Hilton Shares Shocking Update on Status of Feud With RHOBH Costar Lisa Rinna
- Kentucky officer reprimanded for firing non-lethal rounds in 2020 protests under investigation again
- House on Zillow Gone Wild wins 'most unique way to show off your car collection'
Ranking
- Mechanic dies after being 'trapped' under Amazon delivery van at Florida-based center
- Did Paris Hilton Name Her Daughter After Suite Life's London Tipton? She Says...
- Pressure builds to eliminate fossil fuel use as oil executive, under fire, takes over climate talks
- Kate Spade Flash Deal: This $538 Tote & Wallet Bundle Is on Sale for Just $109
- Louisiana man kills himself and his 1-year-old daughter after a pursuit
- New York punished 2,000 prisoners over false positive drug tests, report finds
- Mississippi woman arrested on suspicion of faking nursing credentials
- County attorney kicks case against driver in deadly bicyclists crash to city court
Recommendation
-
Investigation into Chinese hacking reveals ‘broad and significant’ spying effort, FBI says
-
Haslam family refutes allegation from Warren Buffett’s company that it bribed truck stop chain execs
-
Live updates | More Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners are released under truce
-
Academy Sports is paying $2.5 million to families of a serial killer’s victims for illegal gun sales
-
Ranked voting will decide a pivotal congressional race. How does that work?
-
Collective bargaining ban in Wisconsin under attack by unions after Supreme Court majority flips
-
Israel strikes Gaza after truce expires, in clear sign that war has resumed in full force
-
Rights of Dane convicted of murdering a journalist on sub were not violated in prison, court rules