2010 Kennedy Centre Honors
The 2010 Kennedy Centre Honors will be hosted on 5 December 2010 and will pay tribute to five very extraordinary people. It will be the 33rd awards ceremony to be hosted and the people in the spotlight will be Oprah Winfrey, Merle Haggard, Jerry Merman, Paul McCartney and Bill T. Jones. Of the five recipients, four are major contributors to the music industry, and the Kennedy Centre has chosen to celebrate their lives and cultural contributions that have spanned many years, making them icons of our time.
Merle Haggard has been active in the music industry since 1963 and has enjoyed no less than thirty-eight number one hits, including Always Wanting You, Carolyn, Big City, Natural High and Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star. He is being recognized for his achievements as an extraordinary songwriter and singer.
As an artistic director, dancer and choreographer, Bill T. Jones has cemented his legacy as one of the most talented creative minds in the world. Gaining the spotlight on his career as a talented soloist and duet dancer, Jones has been leaving audiences breathless since 1982. He went on to choreograph numerous successful productions and has been awarded various honors for his efforts, of which the Kennedy Centre Honors will now be one of them.
Broadway has never been the same since the work of Jerry Herman began hitting the stage from early 1954. With hit productions such as Hello Dolly and La Cage aux Folles, Jerry Herman is a well-known name in regard to his talents as a lyricist and a composer. He has also won the Tony Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre Award for his invaluable contributions.
Also representing the music industry is Paul McCartney, who needs no introduction. From his days with the Beatles, who took the world by storm in 1957, Paul McCartney has grown into an extraordinary solo artist, songwriter, music producer and composer. He will be honored as a musician and songwriter at the awards ceremony. David M. Rubenstein, the chairman of the Kennedy Centre, commented on the latest award winners by saying: “The Kennedy Center celebrates five individuals who have spent their lives enriching, inspiring and elevating the cultural vibrancy of our nation and the world.”
