Kennedy Center Honors: Garth Brooks, Debbie Allen, Dick Van Dyke & others awarded
Kennedy Center Honors were telecast on June 6 and popular artists like Garth Brooks, Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Allen were among the honorary recipients.
- Entertainment News
- 3 min read
The Kennedy Center Honors are awards that are given to artists and entertainers for their valuable lifetime contribution to American culture. The awards have been presented since 1978 and are conducted in December each year. Last year, Kennedy Center Honors were postponed due to the pandemic and were recorded last month. The ceremony was aired as a two-hour special episode on CBS on June 6. Debbie Allen, Joan Baez, Garth Brooks, violinist Midori and Dick Van Dyke were the recipients of this honour.
Kennedy Center Honors recipients
According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, English actor Julie Andrews paid a tribute to Dick Van Dyke. Referring to Dyke’s character in the 1964 film Mary Poppins, Julie said that like his character Bert, Van Dyke has found the secret of his happiness. She also called him a multi-faceted artist and sharing that he is ‘a one-man band, a profound philosopher, a high-stepping showman and spreader of charm’. Julie also played a pivotal role in this movie.
Bradley Copper paid a special tribute to legendary country singer Garth Brooks. Bradly called Garth a ‘power hitter’ and as someone who ‘shattered the barriers’ between musical genres. He also went on to say that Garth has ‘expanded’ the vocabulary of country music and has also changed America’s culture. Lastly, Cooper said that Garth Brooks ‘remained the humblest man you’ll ever meet’.
Kelly Clarkson also performed a dance to Garth’s popular track The Dance. Watching this, Brooks turned teary-eyed. He also stood up after Kelly’s performance was over and gave the loudest cheer. Garth also became emotional as James Taylor sang his rendition of The River.
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Country singer Jason Aldean also showered heaps of praises for Garth. He said that Garth ‘knocked down a lot of doors’ for singers like him. He also went on to say that Garth’s style of mixing country music with rock is something that cannot be termed ‘traditional’. John Travolta also said that Garth was there for him in his difficult time whose ‘word of wisdom’ helped him through it.
American actor-singer Debbie Allen was also honoured with this award. Popular television producer Shonda Rhimes called Debbie ‘an inspiration and a symbol of power’. The two have worked together on the popular medical drama Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. Shonda also went on to say that Debbie has the vision to create opportunities for those who might not get a chance otherwise.