Kennedy Center pays tribute to Coppola, the Grateful Dead, Raitt, Sandoval and The Apollo
Celebrities, cultural icons and a few surprise guests have paid tribute to honorees at the annual Kennedy Center Honors celebration in Washington
WASHINGTON (AP) — “Not Fade Away” closed out the Kennedy Center Honors at this year's ceremony, just as honorees The Grateful Dead had used Buddy Holly’s ode to enduring love to close out hundreds of concerts over the years.
The packed house Sunday night danced in the aisles to the bouncy beat after a night of honoring the Dead and other recipients of the lifetime achievement award for artistic accomplishment: director Francis Ford Coppola, jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt. The venerable Harlem theater The Apollo, which has launched generations of Black artists, also was recognized.
Longtime Deadheads, including actors Miles Teller and Chloe Sevigny and talk show host David Letterman, paid tribute to the band's blend of musical experimentation, longevity and community-building. “Their music fills the universe,” Letterman proclaimed.
The choice to honor The Apollo was an unusual one: the first time the Kennedy Center has chosen to honor a specific performance venue.
