Stars Honored At John F. Kennedy Center

(CBS/AP)  From Hollywood to Dollywood, Motown to Broadway, a select group of stars from the film, stage and music worlds received recognition on Sunday for a lifetime of achievement in the performing arts.

Movie director Steven Spielberg, singers Dolly Parton and Smokey Robinson, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and conductor Zubin Mehta attended a White House reception as members of the 29th annual class of Kennedy Center honorees.

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Photos: Kennedy Center Honors

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At an evening gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, fellow entertainers and artists celebrated the careers of the five honorees.

During the ceremony, singer Aretha Franklin spoke about Robinson's contributions to music.

"This beautiful, kind, kind man wrote and sang poetically and unselfconsciously about love ... redefining popular music in the '60s, using the connective power of song to break down the barriers of black and white," Franklin said.

Mehta was described by violinist Itzhak Perlman as "what we call in Yiddish a mensch" — someone who is worthy and full of good deeds. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra performed, accompanied by violinist Pinchas Zuckerman.

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Photos: Reese Witherspoon

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Composer Webber heard a tribute from Sarah Brightman, a singer who was married to Webber for several years, remains a friend and has performed in several of Webber's prolific productions among her many stage performances.

"At this very moment somewhere in the world, the curtain is going up on an Andrew Lloyd Webber play," she said.

The ceremonies attracted a combination of celebrities from politics and entertainment. Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., was there along with actors Sidney Poitier, Liam Neeson, Reese Witherspoon, Joan Collins, Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson.

CBS will broadcast the show at a later date.

"This is absolutely fantastic," said Robinson, a Motown recording legend, as he arrived at the White House before the ceremony for a private reception with President Bush and first lady Laura Bush. "I'm so honored and so flattered to get this because it not only deals with your craft; they attach what impact you have on humanity to this."

Others who strolled the East Wing colonnade for the reception included actress Jessica Simpson, singers Vince Gill and Kenny Rogers and movie producer George Lucas. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, the Rhode Island Democrat, walked in with actress Fran Drescher.

The Columbus Dispatch reported Monday that Simpson was in tears last night after flubbing the song "Nine to Five" as part of a tribute to Parton. Simpson ended her performance abruptly with the words "so nervous" and quickly exited the stage. The stunned audience remained silent, giving her no applause.

Simpson appeared to be crying when she and other singers in the tribute returned to the stage, the newspaper said.

Parton, 60, a country singer who has performed for more than four decades, is a Grammy-winner who also has appeared in movies such as "Nine to Five," "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "Steel Magnolias." And there is her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Spielberg, 58, has won two Academy Awards for best director, for "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan." Among his other film are "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Jaws," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and the Indiana Jones series.

Robinson, 66, is best known for classics such as "The Tracks Of My Tears," "Tears Of A Clown" and "I Second That Emotion." He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

London-born Webber, 58, is responsible for the music for "Cats," "The Phantom of the Opera," "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Evita." He has won seven Tony Awards and three Grammy Awards.

Indian-born Mehta, 70, was music director of the New York Philharmonic from 1978 to 1991 and has led the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

[jetlizhan]

Simpson screwed up on the words - why? because the girl's as dumb as a bar of soap. Her sister is so much prettier and (seems to be) smarter than her. I'm for more media about Ashlee and put Jessica in a corner, for good.

[bushrocks1]

Would I send my son to this war? You might ask would I send him to World War II? Or Vietnam? Maybe you would distinguish those conflicts and whether you would send your son to fight in them. But that question is misdirected in a very important way: I can't command my son to go to war. He has to make that choice. So the better question would be: would I volunteer to fight in Iraq, WW II, Vietnam? Would I volunteer to fight in any war? Respond if drafted? I don%u2019t know. I'm not equivocating, only addressing that it is a hypothetical. To a hypothetical, I can answer, sure I'd fight. But I have nightmares of battle (from my past life as a Jacobite). So how do I feel toward those who do volunteer? Impressed and maturely knowing that many things go into their decision. But I do strongly believe that a country that can't find those men is doomed. The fact that we can find them is one reason why I say there is no failure in Iraq. Objectively, I also believe it for other reasons. An attempt to establish democracy in the Middle East is a bold, brilliant, noble effort, facing a high chance of failure. That's why I greatly respect and admire those who have made the attempt--the Bush administration. They have been resolute, something I have not seen in my lifetime. They may not succeed, for reasons outside their control or fault: traitors on the home front being a big one. Now those traitors have apparently occupied the high ground. Yet... we're still in Iraq. Why?...I'm waiting.

[arthurcl1]

Simpson was probably drunk and could not remember her words!

[kennedy19106]

Maybe Jessica Simpson should have taken a cue from her little sister and done the song in the "lip-sync mode." I guess that just because a person looks good doesn't always mean that they actually have any talent! Perhaps Jessica will have better success with her next reality show and husband #2. (God bless the next poor fool...I mean soul)