Joe Biden, US President, kisses Dionne Warwick, 2023 Kennedy Center Honoree, during a reception at the White House. Photo: MANUEL BALCHE CENETA/AP
Singer Dionne Warwick and actor Queen Latifah were among the newest Kennedy Center honorees, honored Sunday night at a star-studded event honoring their lifetime achievements in the arts and entertainment.
Opera singer Renee Fleming, Bee Gees star Barry Gibb and comedian Billy Crystal were also honored at the gala.
Each was given personal awards, including speeches and appearances that are usually kept secret from the laureates themselves.< /p>
Joe Biden, President of the United States, welcomed the laureates to the White House before an event at the John F. Kennedy Center, praising the performing arts for “reflecting who we are as Americans and how people.”
The honorees “have helped shape the way we see ourselves, the way we see each other and the way we see our world,” Biden said.
Barry Gibb, honoree and member of the Bee Gees, joins honoree Queen Latifah (right) at the White House to celebrate the occasion. Photo: MANUEL BALCHE CENETA/AP
Biden and his wife Jill Biden, the first lady, then headed to the Kennedy Center to attend the celebration.
The ceremony began with 2017 Kennedy Center honoree Gloria Estefan leading a troupe of dancers down the aisle in her performance. hit Get On Your Feet.
Deborah F. Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center, earlier this year called the honorees “an extraordinary mix of people who have redefined their art forms.”
The 75-year-old Crystal rose to national fame in the 1970s playing Jody Dallas, one of the first openly gay American network television characters, on the sitcom Soap.
He spent a year on Saturday Night Live and then starred in a number of films, including such hits as When Harry Met Sally… and The Princess Bride and City Slickers.
On the red carpet before the show, film director Rob Reiner, who has played Crystal in several iconic roles, joked with the honoree. “I hope it doesn't give him a big head because, frankly, his head is already big,” Mr. Reiner said.
Crystal, who also received the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Award for Lifetime Achievement in Comedy in 2007. , joins an elite group of comedians mentioned by both: David Letterman, Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels, Lily Tomlin, Carol Burnett and Neil Simon. Bill Cosby received both awards, but they were rescinded in 2018 after he was convicted of sexual assault, which was later overturned.
Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden arrive at the White House reception for the 46th Kennedy Center Gala. Photo: BRENDAN SMILOWSKI/AFP
Warwick, 82, rose to fame in the 1960s as the muse of the superstar songwriting team Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Her discography includes a decades-long string of hits, both with and without Bacharach, including “I Say a Little Prayer,” “I'll Never Love Like That Again” and “That's What Friends Are For.”
< p>The tribute to Warwick began with a speech from 2021 honoree Debbie Allen, a performance by Cynthia Erivo, and Saturday Night Live cast member Ego Nwodim revealing how scary it was to perform his famous Warwick impression in front of the diva herself.
Gladys Knight, honoree Kennedy Center 2022, performed Warwick's signature hit I Say a Little Prayer.
Latifah, 53, has been a star since she was 19, when her debut album and hit single Ladies First made her the first female crossover rap star. She went on to have a varied career that included seven studio albums, starring roles in several television shows and films, and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the musical film Chicago.
Dionne Warwick and Joe Biden attend the White House reception on Sunday. Photo: TASOS KATOPODIS/GETTY
Latifah, real name Dana Owens, was honored with performances from some of the foremost female rappers of her generation, including Yo-Yo, MC Lyte and Monie Love.
Missy Elliott spoke about cultural significance of his stage name. She said Latifa means “gentle” or “kind” in Arabic, and her nickname “queen” conveys respect, dignity and determination to play a leadership role in the culture.
“She said, 'You WILL respect ” to me. I won't just set the bar. I AM the bar,” Elliott said.
The 2023 Kennedy Center Honors will air Dec. 27 on CBS.
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