The 2023 John F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Honorees will be honoured at the gala event on Sunday, 3 December 2023. This year’s honorees include comedian Billy Crystal, award-winning soprano, Renée Fleming, Bee Gees singer, songwriter, producer, and member Barry Gibb, Grammy Award winner Queen Latifahn, and Grammy Award winner Dionne Warwick, all of whom will be honoured during the gala, which will be hosted by 2023 honoree and previous honoree, Gloria Estefan. The event will air on CBS this evening, 12/27, at 8 p.m. ET, and will be streamed on Paramount.
Kennedy Center Honors, according to its official website, receives nominations from the general public. The Kennedy Center also launched its own Honors Advisory Board, made up of two trustees and members of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, past Kennedy Center honorees, and distinguished artists.
The honorees are chosen by the board’s executive committee and are selected on the basis of excellence in the following areas: Music, Dance, Theater, Opera, Motion Pictures, or Television. The selection process usually takes place from July to September.
Kennedy Centre Honors have been awarded to many country music stars over the years, including Roy Acuff (1991), Johnny Cash (1996), Willie Nelson (1998), George Jones (2008), and, most recently, Merle (2010).
Below is a list of four country stars who were honoured with Kennedy Center Honors. We’ll tell you who honoured them and what it was like to sit on the stage with the president of the united states.
Garth Brooks (2020)
Garth became the fourth country star to be honoured with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2020. Kelly Clarkson opened the show with “The Dancer,” while James Taylor opened the show with Brooks’ The River, and Gladys Knight opened the show with We Shall Be Free. Jimmie Allen also performed a couple of Garth’s songs, one of which was “Friends in Low Places,” which was performed by his then-wife, singer-songwriter Janie O’Riordan. Other honorees included actor and singer-songwriter JohnTravolta and singer-songwriters Jason Aldean and others. True to Garth’s style, he wept through much of the award ceremony.
Reba McEntire (2018)
Kelly Clarkson, Reba’s then-daughter-in-law, performed “Fancy” at her Kennedy Center Honor. Lady A sang Reba’s “Is There Life out There.” Melissa Peterman, Reba’s co-star on the TV show “Reba,” gave an emotional tribute to her friend and former co-star, Kristen Cenoweth, who performed songs from the movie “Annie Get Your Gun,” where Reba began her career on Broadway. Afterward, Brooks and Dunn performed Reba’s “Take It Back.”
Dolly Parton (2006)
The tribute began with singer-songwriter Reba McEntire recounting the first time she opened for Dolly Parton at the 1970s Grand Ole Opry. “The first time Dolly came to the Opry, one of my songs got bumped,” McEntire said. “I was just so happy to be in the room with her.” Movie star and native Tennessean, actress, and singer-songwriter actress, singer-songwriter, and country music star, actress, and Tennessee native, Reena Witherspoon, paid tribute to Dolly Parton. She was joined by singer-songwriter Carrie Underwood for the performance of “Islands in The Stream.” The crowd was surprised when singer-songwriter Kenny Rogers joined Underwood. singer-songwriter Alison Krauss sang “Jolene.” singer-songwriter Shania Twain sang “Coat of Many Colours,” singer-songwriter Vince Gill concluded the tribute with the singing of “I’ll Always Love You.”
Loretta Lynn (2003)
Sissy Spacek, who received an Academy Award for her portrayal of Loretta in 1980’s “Coal MIner’s Daughter,” began the tribute with a heartfelt speech about her late friend, singer-songwriter Lynn. She was followed by Reba singing “You’re Looking At Country” by Loretta, and then Garth Brooks singing “Louisiana Woman” with Trisha yearwood, a duet of Lynn and Conway twitty’s “Louisiana Woman.” Finally, the singer-songwriter Patty Loveless concluded the tribute with “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
