The Kennedy Center has named the 2023 class of Honors and they include a comedian, an acting rapper, an opera singer, and two veteran pop artists.
Kennedy Center Honor Gloria Estefan will host the gala event that is the 46th annual Honors that will pay tribute to Billy Crystal,Queen Latifah, Renee Fleming, Barry Gibb, and Dionne Warwick.
The gala event will take place at the Kennedy Center on December 3 with portions of the night’s entertainment replayed in a two hour broadcast later in the month.
Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein spoke on the Honors saying, “the Kennedy Center Honors recognizes artists who have made profound contributions to the cultural life of our nation.”
According to the Kennedy Center website, KCH recipients are chosen as those whose individuals whose unique contributions have had an impact on the rich tapestry of American life and culture through the performing arts, whether in music, dance, theatre, opera, motion pictures, or television.
Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter added, “this year’s slate represents an extraordinary mix of individuals who have redefined their art forms and demonstrated remarkable tenacity and authenticity in becoming an original. Each of them has explored new terrain, stretched artistic boundaries, and most importantly, committed to sharing their gifts with the world.
Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter noted that along with the KCH recipients, the Center is also recognizing the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop music saying, “this year we pay special tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip hop, a uniquely American culture whose constant evolution is one of enduring relevance and impact, reflecting our society as it has grown into an international phenomenon. Hip hop has been an important, thriving art form here at the Center for a number of years; what a privilege it is to bestow an Honors to the First Lady of Hip Hop who has inspired us along the way.” Currently Queen Latifah is exercising her acting skills as a crime fighting prowess on the drama “the Equalizer”; but she is also a successful rap artist and has even recorded an album of Jazz music under her own name “The Dana Owens Experience”.
In the 70’s the Prime Time television airwaves were filled with “adult” soap operas like “Dallas”, “Dynasty”, and “soap” which shocked the television watching world by featuring an openly gay character named Jodie Dallas. The role was played by. Billy Crystal who soon had the world laughing at his antics.
Crystal followed up his role on “Soap” with a stint on “Saturday Night Live”; a series of films including “City Slickers”, “When Harry Met Sally”, and “The Princess Bride”; is a recipient of the Mark Twain Prize, and starred in a hit Broadway play “Mr. Saturday Night”.
With the KCH, Crystal joins David Letterman, Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels, Lily Tomlin, Carol Burnett and Neil Simon as recipients of the Kennedy Center Honor and the Mark Twain Prize for comedy.
More than anything else, Dionne Warwick put both herself and songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David on the musical map when she recorded numerous Bacharach/David compositions back in the 1960’s. Along with dozens of solo hits, Warwick recorded “That’s What Friends are For” with Sir Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder and “Run To Me” with Barry Manilow. She also made a number of recordings with The Spinners.
Previously she took the stage at the Kennedy Center to pay tribute to Honors recipients, but this time when she enters the theater, Renee Fleming will be among those sitting in the balcony being honoued. The soprano has toured all over the world performing in operas.
The five time Grammy Award winning performer has also performed for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, sung the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, holds eight honourary doctorate degrees, was awarded Germany’s a Cross of the Order of Merit, and was presented the National Medal of Arts.
Barry Gibb is the lone surviving member of the trio The Bee Gees. Breaking on to the music scene in the 60’s the trio changed the face of music in the seventies with the soundtrack for “Saturday Night Fever”.
Gibb, along with his twin brothers Maurice and Robin, has won five Grammy Awards; he is also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, is a Q Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, has been knighted by the British Empire, and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.