Washington – 38th annual Kennedy Center Honors aired on Tuesday honoring 5 legendary artists. Different performances, one on them that brought president Obama to tears, were done by great starts to pay tribute to singer-songwriter Carole King, filmmaker George Lucas, actress and singer Rita Moreno, conductor Seiji Ozawa, and actress and Broadway star Cicely Tyson.
“When I look at this year’s outstanding slate of Honorees, I am struck by a powerful common theme-artists as history-makers, artists who defy both convention and category,” commented Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter.
The special event is aired on television every year between Christmas and New Year. This year it was on December 29th even though the actual event took place 3 weeks ago. The traditional event, that first started in 1978 and is always a star-studded celebration on the Kennedy Center Opera House stage, seems to miss a few viewers this year, according to preliminary ratings the event drop of three-tenths of a point from 2014.
The event, as always, was full with great moments. Aretha Franklin’s performance of “A Natural Woman” honoring Carole King, who co-wrote the song, is by far the most commented one as the diva managed to bring president Obama to tears. But this was not the only moving performance.
Monae kicks performed “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and “One Fine Day” and Bareilles, delivered a beautiful rendition of the classic “You’ve got a Friend.” In both performances the crowd got fully exited, King, in particular, seem shock as the singer goes.
Originally a presentation by rock band Eagles was schedule but it had to be postponed to the event next year due Glenn Frey’s health the band said in a statement. The band added that The Kennedy Center had agreed to postpone the Eagles’ award presentation until next year, when all four Eagles, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit, can attend.”
Source: The Kennedy Center