Pictured (L-R): David Rubenstein, Deborah F. Rutter, Kennedy Middle Honorees Barry Gibb, Dionne Warwick, Renée Fleming, Billy Crystal, Queen Latifah, Dr. Jill Biden, President Joe Biden, and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff at The forty sixth Annual Kennedy Middle Honors.

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Pictured (L-R): David Rubenstein, Deborah F. Rutter, Kennedy Middle Honorees Barry Gibb, Dionne Warwick, Renée Fleming, Billy Crystal, Queen Latifah, Dr. Jill Biden, President Joe Biden, and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff at The forty sixth Annual Kennedy Middle Honors.

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The celebrities got here to D.C. Sunday to have a good time this yr’s Kennedy Middle Honorees: Billy Crystal, Dionne Warwick, Renée Fleming, Barry Gibb and Queen Latifah, who turned the primary feminine rapper to win the distinguished award.

Among the many artists who paid tribute to the Honorees had been Kerry Washington, Jay Leno, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Whoopi Goldberg, Cynthia Erivo, Sigourney Weaver, Clive Davis, Missy Elliott and Ben Platt.

The Honorees sat within the field tier with President Joe Biden and First Girl Jill Biden. Over the weekend they attended a reception at The White Home and a dinner hosted by the State Division.

This is a recap of the gala which is able to air on CBS-TV and stream on Paramount+ on December twenty seventh.

Dionne Warwick (singer)

Often known as a vocalist with impeccable phrasing and heat, Warwick scored dozens of hit songs starting within the Sixties.

Mickey Guyton performs for Dionne Warwick on the forty sixth Annual Kennedy Middle Honors.

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Mickey Guyton performs for Dionne Warwick on the forty sixth Annual Kennedy Middle Honors.

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Within the Eighties, she was one of many first celebrities to lift consciousness in regards to the AIDS epidemic. Choreographer and actor Debbie Allen, a 2021 Kennedy Middle Honoree, remembered the time Warwick visited a pediatric hospital.

“She was so overcome that she picked up one of many infants, gave them a hug and a kiss which created fairly a stir as a result of, by doing so, she dispelled the parable that you would catch aids by means of contact,” Allen recalled.

In 1985, Warwick teamed up with Gladys Knight, Elton John, and Stevie Marvel to report “That is What Pals Are For,” a music that received two Grammys and raised thousands and thousands of {dollars} for AIDS analysis.

On the gala, her buddy Gladys Knight carried out “Say A Little Prayer” and Chloe Bailey sang “Stroll on By.”

Billy Crystal (actor, comic, filmmaker)

“He could be edgy, however you all the time really feel the human facet of him and he isn’t afraid to point out his emotion which is uncommon for many comedians,” mentioned Rob Reiner who directed Crystal in When Harry Met Sally. Crystal’s co-star Meg Ryan mentioned that performing with him “was easy” and even gave him credit score for that iconic scene within the deli, “The scene got here actually naturally to me and I actually have Billy to thank for that,” she joked.

Meg Ryan gave Billy Crystal credit score for the long-lasting scene within the deli in When Harry Met Sally at The forty sixth Annual Kennedy Middle Honors.

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Meg Ryan gave Billy Crystal credit score for the long-lasting scene within the deli in When Harry Met Sally at The forty sixth Annual Kennedy Middle Honors.

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Lin-Manuel Miranda carried out a musical tribute to Crystal, the nine-time Academy Awards host. Whoopi Goldberg advised the viewers the Academy ought to give him a particular Oscar for his legendary internet hosting expertise, and poignantly recalled the Comedian Reduction reveals she did with Crystal and Robin Williams.

Queen Latifah (rapper, singer, and actress)
Queen Latifah is now the primary feminine rapper to win a Kennedy Middle Honor. With songs like “U.N.I.T.Y.” and “Girls First,” she took on hip hop at a time when it was much more male dominated than it’s at present. A lot of feminine rappers got here to the Kennedy Middle to pay their respects together with M.C. Lyte, Monie Love, Missy Elliott and Rapsody.

President Joe Biden and First girl Jill Biden applaud Queen Latifah on the Kennedy Middle Honors gala.

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President Joe Biden and First girl Jill Biden applaud Queen Latifah on the Kennedy Middle Honors gala.

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Kerry Washington defined that, when she was 8 years outdated, Dana Elaine Owens “flipped by means of a ebook of names and selected one as her personal: Latifah, an Arabic title which means mild, type and nice. That is how she noticed herself. After which at age 17, when it was time to create her skilled moniker, she added the title Queen. And in doing so, this younger black lady from East Orange, New Jersey, crafted the lens by means of which the world would eternally see her.”

Renée Fleming (soprano)
A number of opera stars got here out to point out their appreciation of Renée Fleming, a 5 time Grammy winner and U.S. Nationwide Medal of Arts recipient. Angel Blue, Julia Bullock, Ailyn Perez, Nadine Sierra and Patrick Summers
carried out Rusalka’s “Music to the Moon.”

Pictured (L-R): Kennedy Middle Honorees Barry Gibb, Dionne Warwick, Renée Fleming, Billy Crystal, and Queen Latifah

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Pictured (L-R): Kennedy Middle Honorees Barry Gibb, Dionne Warwick, Renée Fleming, Billy Crystal, and Queen Latifah

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On the State Division dinner Saturday evening, author Ann Patchett mentioned she turned buddies with Fleming after her novel Bel Canto was revealed. “All people thought it was a novel about her,” Patchett mentioned, “and it ought to have been…as a result of the soprano that I wrote about had a peerless coloratura voice that would cease time.”

Barry Gibb (singer, songwriter, report producer)
Guinness World Data and Billboard listing Gibb as one of many two most profitable widespread songwriters of all time, alongside Paul McCartney. Along with his late brothers Robin and Maurice, the Bee Gees offered over 220 million data. Ariana DuBose, Little Massive City and Ben Platt had been among the many artists who carried out a few of his songs.

On the State Division dinner Saturday night Gibb mentioned, “I do know that with out my brothers, I would not be standing right here.” He additionally had a message:

Pictured (L-R): Barry Gibb, Dionne Warwick and Renée Fleming at The forty sixth Annual Kennedy Middle Honors.

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Pictured (L-R): Barry Gibb, Dionne Warwick and Renée Fleming at The forty sixth Annual Kennedy Middle Honors.

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“I solely have two phrases which have meant one thing to me for the final couple of years, and that’s kindness and understanding,” Gibb mentioned, “And we appear to be dropping that. We’re dropping it in the remainder of the world. And we have to seize it again as rapidly as doable.”

The Kennedy Middle Honorees, pictured L-R high row: Queen Latifah and Barry Gibb. L-R backside row: Renée Fleming, Billy Crystal, and Dionne Warwick. The forty sixth Annual Kennedy Middle Honors will air Dec. 27 on the CBS Tv Community and stream on Paramount+.

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The Kennedy Middle Honorees, pictured L-R high row: Queen Latifah and Barry Gibb. L-R backside row: Renée Fleming, Billy Crystal, and Dionne Warwick. The forty sixth Annual Kennedy Middle Honors will air Dec. 27 on the CBS Tv Community and stream on Paramount+.

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This story was edited for digital and audio by Rose Friedman.