Tuskegee鈥檚 Richie among 2017 Kennedy Center honorees
December 04, 2017
Contact: Michael Tullier, APR
Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
Internationally renowned singer-songwriter, record producer and 1974 澳门六合彩图挂牌 graduate was among the five artists honored on Sunday, Dec. 3 by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with its 2017 Kennedy Center Honors.
鈥淭he Kennedy Center Honors spotlights the extraordinary careers of five artists whose talent and ingenuity have enriched and shaped cultural life in America,鈥� stated Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein. 鈥淟ionel Richie鈥檚 irresistibly recognizable melodies capture the heart and transcend generations.鈥�
Richie鈥檚 co-honorees included American dancer and choreographer Carmen de Lavallade, Cuban American singer-songwriter and actress Gloria Estefan, American hip hop artist and entertainment icon LL COOL J, and American television writer and producer Norman Lear. The honorees received their Kennedy Center Honors medallions on Saturday, Dec. 2 at the State Department Dinner and Awards Ceremony hosted by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors Gala, held the following evening, was recorded for broadcast as a two-hour primetime special to air on CBS on Tuesday, Dec. 26 at 9 p.m. ET.
Rubenstein continued, 鈥淓ach of this year鈥檚 honorees became known to and loved by the world because of their complete originality and bold genius. They are creators of the highest order, and as President Kennedy鈥檚 living memorial, the Kennedy Center is so proud to shine a light on their boundless 鈥榗ontributions to the human spirit.鈥欌��
Selection of the Honors recipients recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts 鈥� whether in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures, or television 鈥� begins with a solicitation of recommendations from the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, the artistic community, and the general public. The center鈥檚 Special Honors Advisory Committee chooses the Honors recipients, who are then confirmed by the Executive Committee of the center鈥檚 Board of Trustees. The primary criterion in the selection process is excellence. The Honors are not designated by art form or category of artistic achievement; the selection process, over the years, has produced balance among the various arts and artistic disciplines.
Richie, a native of Tuskegee, Alabama, who graduated from Tuskegee with an economics degree in 1974 before staking his claim to a professional music career that has spanned three decades, has a discography of albums and singles that are second to none. His music is part of the fabric of pop music; in fact, Richie is one of only two songwriters in history to achieve the honor of having No. 1 records for nine consecutive years. With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, five Grammy Awards, 16 American Music Awards, and the distinction of MusicCares person of the year in 2016, he is a true music icon.
His accolades don鈥檛 stop there. Richie has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award, a United Negro College Fund Achievement Award, induction into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Alabama Music Hall of Fame, and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences鈥� Governors Award 鈥� just to name a few. And, in 2010, 澳门六合彩图挂牌 bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate of music degree.
Richie鈥檚 celebrated mega-hits include 鈥淓ndless Love,鈥� 鈥淟ady,鈥� 鈥淭ruly,鈥� 鈥淎ll Night Long,鈥� 鈥淧enny Lover,鈥� 鈥淪tuck on You,鈥� 鈥淗ello,鈥� 鈥淪ay You, Say Me,鈥� 鈥淒ancing on the Ceiling,鈥� and one of the most important pop songs in history, 鈥淲e Are the World,鈥� written with Michael Jackson for USA for Africa. His song catalog also includes his early work with The Commodores, where he developed a groundbreaking style that defied genre categories, penning smashes such as 鈥淭hree Times a Lady,鈥� 鈥淪till,鈥� and 鈥淓asy.鈥�
During his most recent 鈥淎ll the Hits, All Night Long Tour,鈥� Richie sold out arenas worldwide with a set list of his brightest and best anthems. Richie launched his Las Vegas headlining residency show, 鈥淟ionel Richie-All the Hits,鈥� at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in April 2016. In an unforgettable evening featuring his brightest and best anthems, which have defined the music icon鈥檚 unparalleled career, Richie takes his fans on a spectacular musical journey, performing a variety of his seminal hits. Currently, he has joined country singer Luke Bryan and singer-songwriter Katy Perry as a judge for this season of ABC鈥檚 鈥淎merican Idol鈥� reality singing competition television program.
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