The Kennedy Center Honors the Best in Entertainment

Legends from the world of stage, screen and music are honored at The Kennedy Center Honors awards.

Published

6 months ago

Categories

Entertainment

Topics

Celebrity

People

Barack Obama, Lenny Kravitz, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Plant, Natalia Makarova, David Lettermen

Places

United States of America, Washington D.C.

Transcript

Music legends Led Zeppelin were recognized alongside entertainers from stage and screen for their contributions to the arts and American culture at the Kennedy Center Honors, lifetime achievement awards for performing artists. The tribute held in Washington D.C., alternated from heartfelt accolades for ballerina Natalia Makarova and musician Buddy Guy - to lighthearted roasting of Dustin Hoffman and David Lettermen - to heart pounding musical tributes to Led Zeppelin, by Lenny Kravitz and Kid Rock. Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant talked about how the delta blues of the American south led the immortal sound of the group. SOUNDBITE: Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin, saying (English): "I was drawn to the music of Mississippi, and New Orleans, and to black pop, black popular music and it's an amazing turnaround. I was in quite a lot of different bands that tried to translate or reinterpret the music from the most stellar artists in the late 40's and early 50's and maybe into the 1960s so to be a part of Led Zeppelin, to make American music and put it through the blender and mess with it and turn around and develop so many different styles within it, I'm very, very proud of my association with American music." George "Buddy" Guy, a pioneer in the Chicago blues style, pushed the sound of electrically amped guitar to the forefront of the music. As he headed into the ceremony he reflected on how far he had come. SOUNDBITE: George "Buddy" Guy, musician, saying (English): "From picking cotton in the field to picking the guitar in the White House, that is a longs ways man, you know." The gala will air on U.S. network CBS on December 26th.