Washington — The 2021 Kennedy Center Honors ended on a high note with a lively performance of “Not Fade Away” by honorees The Grateful Dead. The iconic band has used Buddy Holly’s enduring love song to close out countless concerts over the years, and it was the perfect way to end this year’s ceremony. Along with The Grateful Dead, director Francis Ford Coppola, jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt, and the legendary Apollo Theater were also recognized for their lifetime achievements in the arts.
The star-studded event was filled with energy and excitement as the packed audience danced in the aisles to the bouncy beat of “Not Fade Away.” Longtime Deadheads, including actors Miles Teller and Chloe Sevigny, as well as talk show host David Letterman, paid tribute to the band’s unique blend of musical experimentation, longevity, and community-building. Letterman even proclaimed, “Their music fills the universe.”
This year’s ceremony also marked the first time the Kennedy Center has chosen to honor a specific performance venue, The Apollo Theater. The decision to recognize The Apollo was a testament to the theater’s significant impact on the world of art and its role in launching the careers of countless Black artists. Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who arrived on the red carpet, shared his own personal connection to The Apollo, citing iconic performances by Lauryn Hill and a young Michael Jackson as treasured memories from his youth.
The tribute to The Apollo was a celebration of the diverse art forms that have graced its stage over the past 90 years. From a spirited tap dance routine by Savion Glover, to a soulful performance by husband and wife duo The War and Treaty, and a hilarious recounting of his first Apollo performance by comedian Dave Chappelle, the tribute highlighted the theater’s rich history and cultural significance.
The annual gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts always features personalized tributes with performances and testimonials from fellow artists. This year was no different, as medallions were presented during the traditional Saturday night ceremony at the State Department.
In the first of the night’s tributes, Emmylou Harris and Dave Matthews gave a heartfelt performance of Raitt’s duet with the late John Prine, “Angel from Montgomery.” Music star Sheryl Crow also paid tribute to Raitt’s trailblazing career as not just a singer or songwriter, but as a widely respected blues guitarist in a male-dominated field. Crow shared, “I would not be doing what I’m doing if I had not seen her perform as a 17-year-old.” She also revealed that she bought her first guitar shortly after seeing Raitt in concert.
Raitt herself, who was on the pre-event red carpet, predicted an emotional evening, joking, “I’ve brought a massive box of Kleenex and my waterproof eye liner.”
Director Francis Ford Coppola was honored with a tribute filled with previous Kennedy Center honorees, including Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, and George Lucas. They all described Coppola as an iconoclastic and driven auteur who loves to nurture and support younger filmmakers. Lucas shared, “What Francis does creatively is jump off cliffs. When you spend enough time with Francis, you begin to believe you can jump off cliffs, too.”
The tribute to jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval featured multiple performances from an all-star band, including Trombone Shorty and pianist Chucho Valdez from Sandoval’s original band. It also included a flamenco dance performance by Timo Nunez and a bit of light roast comedy from actor Andy Garcia. Garcia joked, “Arturo spoke very little English when he first came to America from Cuba all those years ago. But now his English…is much worse.”
The tribute performances are often kept secret from the recipients themselves, most notably in 2018 when Cyndi Lauper lied to her longtime friend Cher about being unable to attend. Lauper surprised Cher on stage, performing her hit song “If I Could Turn Back Time.”
Before attending the awards event, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris received an extended standing ovation when introduced at the Kennedy Center. In his speech, President Biden praised each honoree and even had Robert De Niro, who was in the audience, stand up before joking, “If I
