Washington celebrated singer Dionne Warwick, comedian Billy Crystal, Bee Gees member Barry Gibb, rapper and actress Queen Latifah, and opera star Renée Fleming on Sunday performed at the Kennedy Center Honors, the top US honor for achievements in the arts.
President Joe Biden lauded the work of the five performers during a reception at the White House before the show.
“The performing arts are more than just sound and scene. They reflect who we are as Americans and as human beings,” he said.
The show kicked off with a tribute to Warwick, 82, a pop music star since the 1960s who has sold more than 100 million records and is known for hits such as “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” and “That’s What Friends Are For,” a 1985 song she recorded with Gladys Knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder to raise awareness about AIDS.
Country group Little Big Town performed Gibb’s song “Lonely Days,” singer Michael Bublé sang “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart,” and Broadway star Ben Platt did a rendition of “Nights on Broadway.”
The show, which was recorded, will be broadcast by US television network CBS on Dec 27.
