Garth Brooks Gets Emotional During Kennedy Center Honors Tribute; Debbie

Debbie Allen, Joan Baez, Garth Brooks, violinist Midori and Dick Van Dyke were lauded Sunday night at the 43rd Kennedy Center Honors, which was more of a scaled-down event than in years past amid the pandemic though no less star-studded. Normally the medallion ceremony is held at the State Department, but this year it was moved to the Kennedy Center’s opera house, with about 120 people spread out at tables on the stage and backstage area looking out at the empty rows of seats. Singer Gloria Estefan hosted the ceremony. Instead of the usual several-hour black-tie event, followed by dinner, the festivities — which were recorded May 21 — ran just 90 minutes with a limited audience (it aired as a two-hour special Sunday night on CBS). The musical performances and tributes — traditionally the centerpiece of the event — were split into two other nights, with attendees wearing masks in one location, which was enclosed, but not in the other (an outdoor tent). TV uber-creator and showrunner Shonda Rhimes called dancer-choreographer-director-producer Allen “an inspiration and a symbol of power.”“She was one of those pivotal forces in the world who made feel like I could be whoever I wanted to be,” said Rhimes, who has worked with the Allen on shows including Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. “Debbie’s vision is to create opportunity for talented people who might otherwise not have been given a chance.”In tribute to Allen, Tracee Ellis Ross introduced Vanessa Hudgens, who performed the title song from Fame, the 1982-87 TV series on which Allen starred and served as choreographer. Jackson Browne introduced fellow singer-songwriter Joan Baez, another honoree, noting how folk music singers in the 1960s — like Baez — helped effect changes across the country. He said he bought the first record he bought with his own money was her second album. “To me, this was completely new music that had a galvanizing effect,” he said. “My friends and I joined hands, demonstrated and sang songs of protest. … Her example has been, from the beginning, one of empowerment.”For her part, Baez said making a statement with her music was a no-brainer. “Music alone is not enough for me. I never thought about combining music and politics. It just came so naturally to me,” Baez said. Among the performers honoring Baez was country singer Sturgill Simpson, who sang her song “House of the Rising Sun,” from her debut album. Julie Andrews introduced her Mary Poppins co-star Van Dyke, comparing him to his character, the chimney sweep Bert. “Like his character Bert in that movie, Dick seems to have found the secret to happiness, and like Bert, Dick is many things: He’s an artist, a one-man band, a profound philosopher, a high-stepping showman and spreader of charm. Good luck does rub off when he shakes hands with you,” she said.


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Article Link: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/garth-brooks-debbie-allen-kennedy-centers-honors-tribute-1234963807/


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