Joan Baez is set to receive a special honor in Our Nation’s Capital.
The 80-year-old half-Mexican American contemporary folk singer has been selected to receive the 43rd Kennedy Center Honors alongside Garth Brooks, violinist Midori, choreographer Debbie Allen and the ageless Dick Van Dyke.
“It has been my life’s joy to make art,” said Baez in a statement. It’s also been my life’s joy to make, as the late Congressman John Lewis called it, ‘good trouble.’ What luck to have been born with the ability to do both; each one giving strength and credibility to the other.”
Traditionally held in December, the 2020 edition of the Kennedy Center Honors was postponed to May 2021 due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Live events and filming are planned for the week of May 17-22. The Honors Gala will be recorded for broadcast on CBS as a two-hour primetime special that will air on June 6 at 9:00 pm ET/PT.
But the pandemic will have an impact on how the event is staged, with live-filmed tributes and virtual moments to take the place of the traditional event in a packed Kennedy Center Opera House.
“The center’s entire campus will come alive with small, in-person events and re-envisioned virtual tributes. Featuring multiple events for physically-distant audiences in locations across the Kennedy Center’s campus…Programs for each event will encompass both performances and speaking tributes for the honorees,” according to a statement. “Virtual events will also be held throughout the week beginning May 17, and the viability of additional in-person events will be considered as COVID-19 safety protocols evolve over the upcoming months…An honoree medallion ceremony for the honorees and a limited audience will be hosted by the Kennedy Center during [the week of] May 17–22.”
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to attend the Honors Gala, as presidents traditionally have done (barring a national crisis). Donald Trump was the first president to decline the invitation every year of his term.
This is the first time in five years that a majority of the honorees have been women. Carole King, Rita Moreno and Cicely Tyson were three of the five honorees in 2015.
“The Kennedy Center Honors serves as a moment to celebrate the remarkable artists who have spent their lives elevating the cultural history of our nation and world,” said David M. Rubenstein, Kennedy Center Chairman.
Here’s a look at each of this year’s honorees:
Joan Baez: The folk legend had three top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 in the 1960s, including Farewell, Angelina. Her classic version of Robbie Robertson’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. Baez was just 21 when she made the cover of Time in November 1962. Baez has one of the longest spans of Grammy nominations in history, from 1962 to 2018. She has yet to win a Grammy in competition (despite nine nods), but she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2007.
Garth Brooks: The country star, 58, is one of the best-selling recording artists in history. The RIAA lists him second only to The Beatles, with 157 million albums sold in the U.S. (compared to 183 million for the Fab Four). He has had nine No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, including Ropin’ the Wind, which topped the chart for 18 weeks, still the record for a country album. Brooks has amassed 14 CMA Awards, including a record seven awards for entertainer of the year. He was artist of the decade for the 1990s at the ACM Awards. He has won two Grammys. He received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song last year. He made the cover of Time in 1992 in a story headlined “Country’s Big Boom.”
Midori: The Japanese-born American violinist, 49, was just 19 when she received her first (and to date only) Grammy nomination for best classical performance, instrumental soloist (without orchestra) for the album Paganini: 24 Caprices For Solo Violin Op. 1. She made her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11 as a surprise guest soloist at the New Year’s Eve Gala in 1982.
Dick Van Dyke: The actor, 95, won three Emmys for The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66), which is widely regarded as the granddaddy of smart, sophisticated sitcoms. He also won an Emmy in 1977 for Van Dyke & Company, which took outstanding variety or music series. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1995. He won a Tony in 1961 for Bye, Bye Birdie (in which he introduced the jaunty “Put on a Happy Face”) and a Grammy for 1964’s Mary Poppins (in which he took the lead in singing the Oscar-winning “Chim Chim Cher-ee”).
Debbie Allen: The actress, dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, director and producer, 70, has won three Emmys for choreography: two for Fame and one for Motown 30: What’s Goin’ On. She also received two Tony nods for acting in revivals of West Side Story (1980) and Sweet Charity (1986). She is a former member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
Rita Moreno is ready to talk shop as part of a special night…
The 88-year-old Puerto Rican Oscar, Golden Globe, Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress will be honored during this year’s virtual AFI Fest, which will take place from October 15-22.
Moreno, who currently stars on PopTV’s One Day at a Time, will be honored alongside Sofia Coppola, Kirby Dick and Mira Nair, with each taking par t in an evening of conversation celebrating their careers.
“Artists of this caliber are essential players in our global culture,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO. “To honor each of them – and all of them – at AFI FEST will prove a symphony of talent at a time the world needs it most.”
Moreno’s career began with a Broadway debut at 13 years old. Since then she has won all four of the most prestigious awards in show business – an Oscar, a Tony, two Emmys, and a Grammy – as well as a Peabody Award and a Kennedy Center Honor. Moreno has also been recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush and the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama.
Moreno received an Honorary Degree from the AFI Conservatory in 2016.
Moreno is starring in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story, which will debut in theaters in December of 2021. She currently stars on the remake of Norman Lear’s classic sitcom, One Day at a Time.
Linda Ronstadt’s life in music is headed to the big screen…
The official trailer has been released for the documentary about the legendary 73-year-old half-Mexican American singer, “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice.”
The feature documentary takes an insider’s look at one of the most successful recording acts of the 20th century.
“Linda cold literally sing anything,” longtime friend and occasional collaborator Dolly Parton says in the trailer. And how. Along with a long string of pop hits, the singer from Tucson, Arizona, has recorded and toured with such disparate styles as opera, jazz, and Mexican folk.
Ronstadt was 21 when she first hit the national charts with the Stone Poneys’ “Different Drum,” a song penned by Monkees’ Michael Nesmith. Her plaintive vocal leapt off the radio from the opening line, and the track just missed the BillboardTop 10. By the early ’70s, her backing band included Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Randy Meisnerand Bernie Leadon, who would go on be Eagles.
By the mid-’70s, Ronstadt was cranking out smash singles and multiplatinum albums as fast as the public could consume them. Three of her LPs hit No. 1 en route to her becoming the most successful female singer of the decade, selling out stadiums around the world.
Ronstadt, who also is part of the Kennedy Center Honors Class of 2019, also been an outspoken political advocate for causes like same-sex marriage and the inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants, never shying away from fighting for what she believes both on and off the stage. She retired several years ago when Parkinson’s disease left her unable to sing.
Two-time Oscar winner Rob Epstein and Oscar nominee Jeffrey Friedman directed the doc from Greenwich Entertainment, 1091 and CNN Films.
The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) will honor the 86-year-old Puerto Rican actress, dancer and singer with its Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Awards in 2019.
The 16th annual Tartikoffs, as their called,will be doled out at NATPE’s conference in Miami in January. They are named for the late NBC Entertainment chief who assembled the network’s top-rated programming lineups in the 1980s.
Moreno, whose career has spanned more than 70 years, is an “EGOT” winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony), as well as a Kennedy Center honoree who currently stars in Netflix’s One Day at a Time.
She’s also one of 23 people who have achieved what is called the Triple Crown of Acting, with individual competitive Oscar, Emmyand Tonyawards for acting. She has won numerous other awards, including various lifetime achievement awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor.
In addition to Moreno, other honorees include Betty White, Henry Winkler, Byron Allen, Bob Greenblatt and Mara Brock Akil.
Conference organizers said the award recipients are recognized “for exhibiting their extraordinary passion, leadership, independence and vision through their diverse work in being a part of the creation and distribution of content for the world’s traditional and digital marketplaces.”
Gloria and Emilio Estefan have earned an extra special prize…
The 61-year-old Cuban singer and her 65-year-old Cuban producer husband will receive this year’s Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
The Estefans usher in two firsts for the prize: This year marks the first time it has been awarded to a married couple and the first time it’s awarded to musicians/songwriters of Hispanic descent.
“Emilio and Gloria Estefan… are the creative force behind the popularity of music steeped in the Latino culture,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “This dynamic couple’s professional and personal journey truly mirrors the American dream and we are so pleased to honor their musical legacy.”
Married since 1978, the Estefans catapulted to global fame in 1985 with Miami Sound Machine, creating a unique sound that blended Latin and pop rhythms that pulsed through hits including “Conga,” “Turn the Beat Around,” “Get on Your Feet” and “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You.”
The Estefans were each named BMI’s songwriter of the year and between them have garnered 26 Grammys. Their life story and music were showcased in the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical On Your Feet!, which they executive produced. In addition to their musical talents, they are also successful entrepreneurs, philanthropists and humanitarians.
Gloria is having a banner year of acknowledgment by the vaunted cultural institutions of the nation’s capital. This past December, Gloria was inducted into the Kennedy Center Honors. She also was part of the ensemble who last year feted 2017’s Gershwin Prize tribute to Tony Bennett.
The Estefans will receive the prize at an all-star tribute concert in March in Washington, D.C., that will later be aired on PBS.
Chita Rivera is doing her part to help families on the border…
The 85-year-old half-Puerto Rican Broadway sensation will perform in the Concert For America, which will take place on June 30.
Rivera, the first Hispanic woman and the first Latino AmericanKennedy Center Honors recipient,will join a list of participants that includesTina Fey,Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald, Mandy Gonzalez and more.
Hosted by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley of SiriusXM, the benefit consisting of music, comedy and commentary will take place in New York’s Great Hall at The Cooper Union.
Rudetsky said in a statement, “James and I have been increasingly horrified at what’s going on with these families struggling at the border.” He added that the scheduled Concert For America will coincide with the coming day of national protests, and will benefit the non-profits working with families at the southern border.
General Admission tickets are $25, and limited VIP seats are $250, with proceeds going to Al Otro Lado, Texas Civil Rights Project, ACLU Foundation of Texas and Florence Project, all groups working to protect the civil and human rights of families on the border. Tickets can be purchased here.
The event will livestream on Facebook and at ConcertsforAmerica.com, beginning at 5:00 pm, ET on Saturday, June 30.
The 60-year-old Cuban singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman, who became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1974, was among the honorees at Sunday night’s 40th edition of the Kennedy Center Honors, becoming the first Cuban American to receive the special recognition.
Estefan, a seven-time Grammy winner, was lauded by longtime friend Eva Longoria and received musical love from Jon Secada, the cast of On Your Feet!(the Broadway musical based on the life and music of the honoree and her husband/collaborator Emilio), and Becky G and Chaka Khan, whose rendition of “Coming out of the Dark” was a show highlight.
Estefan received the award from her role model and friend, Rita Moreno.
“This, ladies and gentlemen, is the stuff of the American dream, and Gloria and I are living every, single minute of it,” said in a video shared by Estefan.
During her touching acceptance speech, Estefan said, “Every one of the honorees in this room, in their own beautiful way and by putting their lives as examples, and as beautiful ways of expressing through music, through art, through the film, through dance, showed who we are in this country. And we are that amazing tapestry of so many colors and vibrant backgrounds, and that’s what makes this country great because when you weave those things together, it’s just such a strong force. And we need to keep that alive.”
Marking only the fourth time in four decades the sitting president hasn’t attended the event, Donald Trump in August opted to sit this one out amid several suggested boycotts.
Estefan called Trump’s decision to stay away “very thoughtful… I’m thankful he chose not to come because all he does is overshadow the accomplishments of people who have spent a lifetime trying to do something. It’s kind of a bummer when that moment is overshadowed by politics and controversy, so I’m very thankful he allowed us the freedom to just revel in this accomplishment.”
She said she wished “certain things could be improved” about Trump’s governance, citing in particular his current policies regarding Cuba, from where she and her family emigrated when she was young. “I wish he wouldn’t have pulled back the travel restrictions on Cuba because I think person-to-person travel is incredibly important, although I don’t particularly like the Castros.”
The celebration honoring Estefan, LL Cool J, Lionel Richie, Norman Lear and dancer/choreographer Carmen de Lavallade was a lively, hitch-free night that will air as a special December 26 on CBS.
The 83-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress, dancer, singer and Broadway star will be spending inauguration day at a concert in New York City raising money for human-rights organizations.
Rivera, the first Hispanic woman and the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honorsaward, will perform at the Concert for America: Stand Up, Sing Out!
The event will be held at The Town Hall in Manhattan on January 20. It’s intended to be the first in a series of monthly benefit concerts and will be streamed live on Facebook.
In addition to Rivera, a two-time Tony Award winner, the lineup includes Kelli O’Hara, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Betty Buckley, Jessie Mueller and Billy Porter.
Others slated to perform include Sharon Gless, Andrea Martin, Bebe Neuwirth, Rosie O’Donnell, Rosie Perez, Caroline Rhea, Stephanie Mills and Charles Busch.
The concert is the brainchild of Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, who also organized the Broadway for Orlando fundraising concert.
Mueller, currently starring in Waitress, will reach back to her Tony Award-winning role as Carole King to sing “Beautiful.” She hopes its message of love and tolerance resonates.
“Hate comes from a lack of love, so we can’t fight it with more of its own toxicity; we have to fill it with love,” she said. “There are really big things at stake. Things we can’t save or solidify or safeguard alone. We have to think bigger, we have to ask for help, we have to reach out to one another and band together. I hope this concert can be an example of that.”
Proceeds will benefit groups that protect civil rights, women’s health and environmental protection, including Planned Parenthood, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law Center and The Sierra Club Foundation. Tickets range from $25 to $50.
Each year, the Kennedy Center recognizes a select group for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts with the primary criterion in the selection process being excellence. Honorees are chosen by the center’s board of trustees.
Moreno, a Grammy, Oscar, Golden Globe and Tony Award winner, will be honored along side Star Wars patriarch George Lucas, actress Cicely Tyson, songwriter Carole King, conductor Seiji Ozawa and the Eagles.
Moreno, who recently guest-starred on the CW’s Jane the Virgin, has previously received the Library of Congress Living Legends Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a National Medal of Arts and the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
The event, a fundraiser for the Washington, D.C. arts center, will take place on December 6. CBS will broadcast the star-studded event on December 29.
