The Kennedy Center Honors took place on December 4, and as usual, it is being broadcast the Tuesday after Christmas, December 27 at 9 pm Eastern time on CBS-TV. I always watch it, because it’s always entertaining, no matter how well I know the honorees.
The inductees, as usual, represent a wide array of talent. Singer Barbara Cook I’ve seen perform on televised versions of her extensive Broadway career.
My knowledge of Sonny Rollins is primarily through the Modern Jazz Quartet, who I’ve heard perform, again primarily on TV.
I actually own a couple of albums of Yo-Yo Ma. As the description notes, he is the country’s “cellist-in-chief.” The last time I saw him play was on TV at the 9/11/2011 performance in New York City.
The early work of singer-songwriter Neil Diamond I really loved. Solitary Man has been covered by Chris Isaak and Johnny Cash, among many others; Kentucky Woman by Deep Purple [listen]; Red, Red Wine by UB40 [listen], and I’m a Believer by the Monkees [listen]. He also had hits with Cherry, Cherry [listen]; Cracklin’ Rosie; Holly, Holly; Sweet Caroline; I Am…I Said; Song Sung Blue; and my personal favorite, Thank the Lord for the Nighttime [listen]. I also own his 2005 album 12 Songs.
As for Meryl Streep, I saw her in Holocaust, the 1978 TV mini-series, and heard her on early episodes of The Simpsons. I’m looking forward to catching The Iron Lady, where she’ll play Margaret Thatcher since I have also seen over half the movies she’s made:
2009 It’s Complicated; Julie & Julia
2008 Doubt; Mamma Mia!
2006 The Devil Wears Prada; A Prairie Home Companion
2004 The Manchurian Candidate
2002 The Hours; Adaptation.
1999 Music of the Heart
1998 One True Thing
1996 Before and After
1995 The Bridges of Madison County
1994 The River Wild
1992 Death Becomes Her
1991 Defending Your Life
1990 Postcards from the Edge
1988 A Cry in the Dark
1986 Heartburn
1985 Out of Africa
1985 Plenty
1983 Silkwood
1982 Sophie’s Choice
1981 The French Lieutenant’s Woman
1979 Kramer vs. Kramer; The Seduction of Joe Tynan; Manhattan
1977 Julia