Kennedy Center Honors

Well, he was better than Reagan or W.

His service dog seemed to like him.

So ... yeah, that's all I got.

Did DUMP show up?

Or was he dis-invited again?

For the second year in a row tRump did not attend. Which is a good thing, because no one wants him there anyway.

Donald and Melania did nor attend. Nor was there the usual White House reception held for the Honorees before the ceremony.

Adam Lambert performed a ballad version of Believe that will knock you out.

I don't know why it never dawned on me that it would make an amazing ballad .

You can see it 12/26

Nice editing NBC (OP's link): [Quote] Bill Clinton was on his way to a conference during the 1994 Kentucky Center awards.

Trump probably would attend if it was the Kentucky Center!

Shun him. Just as well that Toadstool was a no show.

There isn't much longevity in the careers of most of those recipients. Is this award DOA in the Trump era?

Cher? You've got to be kidding. Will Madonna get one of these, too?

I hear Melissa Peterman aka Barbara Jean gave the honor to Reba. Will we get fat Barbara Jean or Skinny Barbara Jean?

OP, the honors are always broadcast sometime in the week after Christmas.

r10 Fat. Definitely fat.

Seated to Cher's left at the ceremonies was...wait for it...

Nancy Pelosi.

R12

Why was Pelosi sitting in the honoree box?

I don’t know. But I checked out whatever videos were available on YouTube yesterday. She was seated where Michelle was before.

Whatever the reason, I think it’s hilarious. Maybe because she’s third in line and Number 1 (who likes number 1) and Number 2 (who’s a piece of number 2) were absent. Or maybe that’s not why but it’s the reason they’ll use.

Look for the red carpet video in which Kelly Clarkson runs into Cher. I thought it was charming.

R14, Pelosi's not currently third in line.

r15 Oops. You are correct. I'm thinking waaaaay ahead!

For anyone interested, this airs tonight on CBS at 8pm EST

OP & R17 thanks for the reminder - was about to insert a DVD, if I didn't see this thread I would have missed the show.

There is a President's Box. If the President is not there, I think it remains empty. But the Honorees are also in special boxes, with their guest. The chandelier hanging above the room is incredible. If I remember right, I think it's from Ireland.

The quartet from Hamilton have no business there.

Only two women from Country Music has won the Kennedy Center Honor - Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton

As much as I love Reba, I don't think she deserves the honor, as I think Connie Smith is more worthy for a Kennedy Center Honor than Reba

Watching for REBA and CHER!

I like when Reba wears her hair longer, but she looks good.

[quote] Watching for REBA and CHER!

I think everyone is Reba is kicking things off and Cher will close the show (unless it is Hamilton)

I love these Reba songs, I’m tearing up,Mary

Kelly Clarkson was great.

That song "Is there life out there" inspired so many women to go back to school

Kelly Clarkson is ALWAYS great. Shes one of those rare REAL talents and she never disappoints.

Cyndi and Cher are most likely friends as cyndi opened for Cher's Believe tour.

Cher is the last honored.

I was just reading about the night’s program online. The evening started with an extended standing ovation at the request of Gloria Estefan to honor President G.W. Bush who had died a few days earlier. There were other tributes to Bush throughout the evening. Wonder if CBS will air any of them.

Kelly was great. Such a great voice no matter what she is singing.

Kelly said she wanted to also sing for Cher's segment but the KKC said that wasn't allowed. You could only honor one.

Kelly would've rocked one of Cher's songs.

It’s not Fat Barbara Jean and it’s not Skinny Barbara Jean - it’s Medium Barbara Jean!!

Melissa Peterman stole the show from Reba on her TV show - and Reba wasn't jealous or tried to cut Melissa lines. In fact Reba encouraged it, saying if Melissa shines, the show shines.

After the show was cancelled Reba hired Melissa to go on tour with her, to open her show with her comedy routine.

That is what you call GENEROUS.

Kelly doesn't know Cher, so why would she sing?

I hate country so I only like one Reba song & I don't even know the name of it.

It was a duet with another female singer.

Both women in love with the same man. One was his wife & the other was his mistress.

R36

You don't have to know the person.

I didn’t recognize Cyndi Lauper in the audience when Kelly Clarkson was performing. Cyndi’s here for Cher.

Who the FUCK is Connie Smith??

R37 it was "Does He Love Her" and the other female singer (Linda Davis) is the mother of lead singer of Lady Antebellum, who sang "Is There Life Out There" earlier tonight

Chenoweth is scary and pathetic at the same time.

A country music legend, R40.

R41

The mother of that girl? Wow! Time flies.

R38, it is normally someone who is at least acquainted with the person. Have you never seen the show?

Could Chenoweth have been any more vulgar? Irving Berlin's song does not need Kristin Chenoweth shaking her ass like a $2 whore to put the song across. She is a constant disappointment.

Kristen Chenoweth has a stinky pussy.

Jesus, this jazz section is dreadful. They might as well all play and sing 12 different songs at the same time. I can't believe anyone really wants to listen to any of that, including anyone in the audience or any of the performers. Dreadful.

Performances for Cher include:

Cyndi Lauper and Adam Lambert: I Got You Babe Cyndi: If I Can Turn Back Time Adam: Believe

Sorry about the spacing

Performances for Cher include:

Cyndi Lauper and Adam Lambert: I Got You Babe

Cyndi: If I Can Turn Back Time

Adam: Believe

What on earth was Renee Fleming screaming about?

She's no Connie White, r43.

Sonny could have at least sent a video tribute.

Little Big Town does a Cher medley.

Dumbshit finally went to see some Troops.

No one wanted him there, that's the truth.

They SHOULD have honored MELANIE Hamilton!

Too young.

I remember Caroline Kennedy always opening up the evening. I wonder why she didn't tonight?

So, like are Hamilton tributing themselves?

Is there anyone Gloria isn't very good friends with?

Hamilton, but still no Honor for Carol Channing.

She's a whore, darlin'.

Betty White, Carl Reiner, we condole you.

Why aren't the Hamilton honorees sitting in the box with the other honorees. I've never seen that before.

They should so a show about Millard Filmore or Benedict Arnold.

Judge John Roberts in there! Good for him.

R66 *Chief Justice John Roberts

Why didn't Wayne Shorter smile? Was he forced to sit there?

Sorry but I cannot believe after all of these accolades Lin-Manuel isn't cheating on his wife with nubile whores of both sexes.

Hamilton doesn't impress me. I'm glad I didn't pay a fortune to see it.

S. looks fabulous.

Damn, I forgot this was on. I'll look for clips online.

Ask a gay guy how much he loves you. Will his answer be this poem?

The Cher tribute is waking me up.

Stupid music directors tarting up Phillip Glass' work with inappropriate instrumentation, shortened versions of what are supposed to be ecstatic long-form musical works, and the worst, sentimentalized performances of one of the most intellectually rigorous work of the 20th century. Please.

"Cher, Mother of Re-Invention." I'd love to see the look on Madonna's face if she was watching.

From recent pictures, I'm not sure you could tell what Madonna was thinking.

Maddona knows better than to come for Cher.

I hope the crowd gets on its feet for Cher

No mention of Son?

Cher should be the host of the Academy Awards. She could pull it off.

I still love her voice.

These Little Big Town people were awful.

Whoa - when did DL stop loving Chenoweth?

(This was right after she tweeted her admiration for 'thousand points of light Bush' -- but still.)

The Hamilton boys have been seated at the children's table.

Meryl Streep was too busy?

Why isn't The Cher Show performing for Cher?

That would get the audience off their asses.

Cher's mother is beautiful.

I don't even like Reba McIntire but Kristin's performance from Annie Get Your Gun was wholly inappropriate as a tribute in so many ways. Reba was never vulgar and tacky....plus Reba sang it better.

Wow, Adam Lambert has taken this song to another level. I wish he'd cut a single of it.

Where is Chaz and the Allman kid?

Why is Adam wearing so much makeup?

Cher wishes she could sing like him.

Cher has gotten an Oscar and Kennedy Center Honor BEFORE Glenn Close

R87

Because they do 8 shows a week.

Cindy is knocking this out of the park. These great performances are showcasing Cher's weaknesses as a singer.

WTF?? Current Broadway shows have often appeared on the Kennedy Honors.

Cyndi Lauper's bike pants could use some tightening.

yay!!! Nancy Pelosi is up and swinging away to the music! Love her.

An odd choice of little big town. Think of all the better options?! Adam Lambert was amazing. Wow. Stunning.

Finally some people are standing up!! Cindy is fun as hell.

Adam slayed that stripped down version of Believe.

Cindy Lauper was up (TWICE) for the Rock Vocalist Grammy, but she lost to both Tina Turner and then Pat Benatar

Linda and Carly and Bernadette are wondering when it will be their turn.

I don't think the Cher Show crowd has the night off.

But it is a shame this didn't happen some time in the near future when SJB would have been considered the first person to call for a tribute.

Dang! Cher's either really tall or Nancy Pelosi is very short..

LOL, Cher's weakness as a singer? You must be joking.

Cher is almost 5/8 and add at least 3 inches for heels.

Stupid mistake! It would have been worth the loss of one night of ticket dales for the publicity to get The Cher Show on this. After all, here's their target audience.

Including The Cher Show would have been a win-win. It's not exactly sold out.

By including the Hamilton crew it made the honoree segments way too short.

Will it get some wind for the sailboat? And it could get for it is. It could get the railroad for these workers. And it could be where it is.

R108

The only way they could've been there is if it was taped on a Monday. They're committed to 8 shows a week.

R111 there is something called "Understudies"

When both Carole King & Gloria Estafan were honored with KCH both their Broadway musicals were featured on the telecast with the Broadway principles

The Cher Show is averaging over 90% in sales.

Great night for Adam Lambert. He was incredible. Made that song his own. Cher sang it with a dance beat. He sang it as a torch song and he was heartbreaking. Gave me chills. Best voice of the night.

And they could have planned ahead and taken a different night off so the cast could travel to DC. I'm guessing that's how other Broadway shows have managed.

What a lackluster show! And not very emotional.

R112, this was filmed 2 days before the show's official opening night. Of course they wouldn't be there.

R116 why not? They could have treated it as an out of town tryout

Here you are, r75. Now shut it.

r113 The Cher Show has not exceeded 90 percent gross potential since it opened.

R117

You are an idiot on how things work.

R120, yes. borderline retard. R119, look at the capacity line in your own link.

[quote] You are an idiot on how things work.

Then tell us what was the last Broadway show you produced.

R41, the Reba/Linda Davis duet is titled "Does He Love You (Like He Loves Me)?"

R68, he's 85 and my guess is that he's not in the best of health. He looked quite frail.

r121 Percent capacity doesn't mean much other than that tickets are being discounted. The Prom, for example, is hitting about the same capacity numbers but is doing even worse in terms of percent gross potential (i.e., percent of how much money it could be making).

Blurry copy of the Reba tribute.

Yea! It's Reba the Mail Lady for Phillip Glass!

r19 The president and first lady are seated next to the honorees (to their left). There is no box just for them.

[quote]both their Broadway musicals were featured on the telecast with the Broadway principles

You'll find principals on Broadway, but never principles.

Get down, get funky to Cindy Lauper, John Roberts!

The tight pants on the guys from Little Big Town and Lady Antebellum were a nice stocking stuffer.

Cher stole the show!

I'm glad fucking Trump wasn't there. He doesn't deserve this show, this kind of joy. It was perfect without that criminal and his gold-digging whore.

Next year Kennedy Center: Honor Liza Minnelli and Johnny Mathis.

What the fuck is wrong with you people?!

I’m a bit surprised barry Gibb didn’t make it in this year. A much more prolific singer/songwriter/producer then just about all of the music acts that have made it in the last few years. He was knighted as well as honored at the Grammys this past year and SNF and Grease both hit their 40 year marks within the last year.

that bitch M didn't show up to honor her buddy Cher

Reba was smart in all the pics from the dinner and the show, she chose outfits that made her standout from the crowd, white at dinner and blue at the show. I would have expected Cher to be the one whose outfit would make them standout, but she chose black so she just sort of blended in with the men in the group shots. I haven't watched yet, I only care about Reba and Cher, so I hope they are the bookends of the night so I can FF through the rest.

Also, I'm not sure if Kelly is telling the truth, because Reba, herself, took part in tributes to two honorees on the same night, she sang for Loretta Lynn's tribute and took part in Carol Burnett's tribute in 2003, but maybe it was because she didn't sing in both tributes.

too many shots of people in the audience shaking their heads to the music (and the Hamilton thing was odd. They were kept separate so they were being honored but not really being fully honored.)

[quote]They were kept separate so they were being honored but not really being fully honored.

As it should be. The Kennedy Center Honors are for LIFETIME contributions to American culture.

Why were they even there r138. The wrote a show like 3 years ago! Lifetime achievement?

"Insecure, thin-skinned Child-President Dump avoids event out of fear of being made fun of by artists." (And by being the only child among 4,000 adults in the room.)

R139 Because that will be their lifetime achievement. They will spend the rest of their lives trying to top Hamilton, but they will never duplicate the success and when they die their obit will be all about whatever role they had in creating Hamilton. It is like how David O Selznick spent the rest of his life trying to top Gone With The Wind, but he just couldn't.

So glad they saved Cher for the end. Great performances and Adam Lambert was crazy good. He should release that version of Believe as a single.

Sweet!

I don't know, r139. That's why I'm OK with them not being seated with the other honourees. But I'm not OK with them being honoured at all.

She doesn't seem to get a lot of love on DL, but I've always loved her. Still do, I still buy her albums.

Liza Minnelli and Johnny Mathis...now those are lifetime achievements!!

Hamilton did not deserve to be there at all. However, great or groundbreaking, this was not the forum for that show. But the Kennedy Center probably thought they needed to be hip, cool and edgy for ratings

Doesn't matter, Cher is all they needed. Great tribute to the queen of the universe, What a finale!!

It seems like they are passing out these awards to anyone with a hit record.

Cyndi Lauper used to tour with Cher, so it's not so random.

Cyndi puts on a fabulous show, I see her every time she's in LA. Love her version of At Last.

I loved Hamilton (I saw it at the Public and on Broadway in previews) but they looked ridiculous, out of place. Compare Hamilton to Philip Glass' work. I hope they felt embarrassed and out of place.

I thought the pieces in the Glass tribute were well selected for audiences (live and TV) that are probably not familiar with either his work or the conventions of minimalism. They were much too short, though, as if afraid to reveal that minimalism involves a lot of repetition, or progressions so subtle they sound like repetition. Maybe more from his operas would have been nice too.

I hope this opens the door for Reich, Adams, and other modern “classical” composers. No need to argue over who is better or has been more influential. Glass is surely not the only deserving one.

Pretty amazing to think that Adam Lambert was runner-up to Kris Allen!

The Kennedy Center may not have thought this through, putting itself in a position where the Hamilton honourees got to pay tribute to their own precious selves.

Who was seated to Nancy Pelosi’s left, and why did they get to take the seats normally occupied by the President and First Lady?

Was that Larry Flint in the audience? And is this really the first time in years that I did not spot the inexplicably omnipresent Bill Irwin in the audience?

CBS put up Adam's version of Believe. Just stunning.

I was OK until Cyndi came out, and then I just cried.

MARY!

Is that version of 'I Believe' the arrangement from the musical that SJB did during previews?

[quote] and took part in Carol Burnett's tribute in 2003,

I think one of the reasons Reba did double duty that night is because the Carol Burnett tribute needed as many women as possible to play all of Carol's characters from her show., Reba did (not Norma) but NORA Desmond in a takeoff of Sunset Blvd. Even Julie Andrews had to pitch in, hosting Carol segment, then later having to don the Starlett O'Hara get-up.

So they were kind of short staffed with the Carol tribute,

[quote]Judge John Roberts in there! Good for him.

But Justice Mike Branson was noticeably absent.

DId CHERyl have a falling out? She should have been there. Sheesh!

I am hoping Alec Baldwin and Kathy Griffin are honored next year.

I actually think the Kennedy Center featured Hamilton for a reason...Trump and the state of our Union because of him.

DAMN! that rendition of Believe was a knockout!

Hamilton fucking sucks.

I found that version of Believe a little underwhelming personally.

[quote]Pretty amazing to think that Adam Lambert was runner-up to Kris Allen!

And for pretty much the same reason that Hillary was runner-up to Trump: most voters are idiots (teenage girls for Kris Allen, and deplorables for Trump).

They better got Johnny Mathis on this

[quote] DId CHERyl have a falling out? She should have been there. Sheesh!

Cher stopped returning my phone calls in 1991. And she’s never shown up to any of my tributes (that 10 second pre-recorded thing she did for my AFI doesn’t count.)

ok miss r165 explain the tears in my eyes and in Cher's!

R169

Because you are you, and Cher is Cher, and his version moved you and moved Cher.

It did not move me. Which doesn't make any of us wrong.

That's why the sentence reads, ***I*** found it underwhelming.

Adam Lambert was simply amazing. He was able to bring Cher to tears.

Good show except for the jazz shit

I listened to Koyanasqaatsi after the show ended. Love Glass!

R166, Kris Allen won by getting the country music vote.

And the religious right vote. It was particularly powerful that year with holy roller Danny Gokey praising Jesus whenever he got the chance.

I changed the channel the moment I saw Lin Manuel Mirandas punchable face.

I just watched Reba and skipped to Cher.

Adam Lambert brought the house down.

He did well at the Wicked Anniversary too.

Adam Lambert's version sucked - so does he

[quote]Why is Adam wearing so much makeup?

To hide the freckles and the acne scars.

A few years back, it was cool when Carole King went nuts while Aretha sang "Natural Woman". Because Carole wrote that song.

But why would Cher get weepy when Adam performed Believe? She didn't write "Believe" (except for rewording a line or two in the verse). At least Adam didn't sound like a robot when he sang Cher's part. (Can't say the same for Cher's vocal.) It's not Adam's take on Cher's song. It's Adam's take on a professional songwriter's song.

....thats associated primarily with Cher.

She got weepy for the same reason a lot of us did listening to him. He was singing with real raw emotions that a lot of us have felt ourselves. It was an honest and moving performance.

[So they were kind of short staffed with the Carol tribute,]

I just re-watched that one. They could've gotten rid of one of Burnett's characters portrayed. Kim Catrall played a little known Burnett character named Zelda. I've wondered why.

I agree with those who say where is Minnelli, Matthis, and Channing. I read their names mentioned every time a discussion about the honors come up. Who are some others, maybe some from out in left field? Barry Gibb was mentioned. Interesting. What about Sally Field? Jane Fonda? Little Richard? Brian Wilson? Tommy Tune?

Simon Cowell? Cyndi Lauper?

R182, Cher did change Believe around and unlike many singers today didn't demand a songwriting credit.

Also, it was quite an accomplishment to have the #1 single of the year as a woman in her 50s. That led to her 3 year long first Farewell tour.

I don't blame her for crying.

You people are forgetting that LL Cool J was inducted before Cher If they'll let LL Cool J in the let anyone in!

Believe was huge.

R185 - Brian Wilson was honored in 2007.

Lawd! I can't believe someone is questioning why Cher teared up.

Like everyone else in the world she's loved & been hurt. The stripped down version took it from a triumphant dance anthem to a torch song of love lost.

You don't have to have written a song for it to move you.

R191, nice post. Plus, that song took her from rich to super rich- never a bad thing.

Woody Allen wouldn't have showed up anyway even if they got past the pedophilia accusations.

Fear that Trump might change his mind and show up to grope the women has changed the tone of the award.

The Kennedy Center Honors used to be such a better show. The Mini biographies were richer and more interesting. These were just infomercials. And seriously, what is Cher honored for? Some singles, a few decent but not important movies, and variety shows from the 70s? She's been nothing but show business. Never lifted a finger to really help anyone else. She talks some talk on rights but never writes checks, never appears at benefits, and unlike Streisand, has no foundation that she gives to causes with. Are they that desperate? Even ultimate Diva Bette (don't look at me backstage) Midler has a charity. Fuck Cher. I don't care what her mother told her when she was young, and I don't care that she's a star.

You are still a fan though, right?

Hasn't Caroline Kennedy been hosting in the post-Walter Cronkite years? She wasn't there this year. Or at the Bush funeral. Are we sure she's well?

Cher's kids didn't seem to show up. Is she estranged from them? Did they attend the opening of The Cher Show?

Can you imagine having Cher as your mother ?....I love Cher, but I cant think of a single time when she wasnt actively working and on the go and how crazy her life is...someone else had to take care of the kids....BOTH have some serious issues.

As a side thought : What would Sonny Bono think of Chaz ?

I've posted this before, on a Johnny Mathis thread, I think. PLEASE, nominate Johnny and Liza and anyone else you feel is deserving. There are enough of us here to make an impact. Wouldn't you feel proud if you nominated someone, and next year they were actually honored with the award?

R200 I did my part.

R198

Cher is very close to both kids. Chaz & Cher are closer than ever. Elijah & his wife live with Cher.

A LOT of big names turned down the honor the year before, for obvious reasons. It was supposedly better this year getting nominees to commit, but they're still having trouble getting guests to come. That audience used to be packed with A listers. There have been very few the last two years.

r195 The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes contributions to American culture. They have nothing to do with charity work.

By all rights Leah Remini should be on this list for her activism.

R195, you know nothing about Cher. She has a foundation, runs a school for girls, has chaired multiple AIDS benefits since the 80s, given money and supported several guys including her "drag Bette" Kenny Sascha, and check out Operation Helmet with her speaking in front of Congress. Plus, unlike Barbra- she isn't a disliked CUNT.

I love it when DL fuckheads post their ignorant, ill-informed bullshit and then get schooled. Too bad they didn't actually go to school.

BTW, R195 is just bitter because no one wants to finance Barbra as 80 year old Mama aka great-grandma Rose.

Charity starts at home. Too bad Babs didn't teach her own son about condom use

R177 Me too, glad they did it like that. They understood they were the two honorees people were actually watching the show for.

I haven't watch for a few years because I haven't been overly invested in the honorees, but has the Kennedy Center been remodeled? The auditorium seemed smaller than I remember it from earlier broadcasts.

I kept reading about the Carol Burnett tribute, but I had never seen it. So I looked up it. Thanks, DL, for pointing me towards it.

Seriously where was Cher’s family?

Funny, they added an honor to Hamilton to get people to watch and the ratings didn't move.

TV ratings are no longer easily achieved. Anything that isn't a massive loss should be viewed as a success. People have really lost interest in anything that isn't sports or propaganda.

Like the Tony Awards, only gays and select few other older Americans will watch Kennedy Center Honors no matter who they feature

No one but no one wanted to see Caroline Kennedy galumpimg on stage awkwardly in an ill-fitting gown and braying “like” every other word. JFK Jr. got all of Jackie’s grace.

r212 They moved down.

Bernadette should be next. Honestly, she should have been in any of the last three years, at least.

Just watched this, the audience shots are awful. Who are these people? Did any of the Administration show up? This used to be a huge fundraising night for the Center. I can't imagine it is anymore.

Once I found out that the Kennedy Center never recognized Mary Tyler Moore..........I was done with them.

Millions of people watched. You can't say "no one watched" even if ratings didn't move. It's still a great night of TV. You're not going to like or be interested in every honoree, but it's still a great show.

Next year...Liza, Johnny Mathis, Carol Channing...and posthumous honors to Mary Tyler Moore and Patty Duke.

Miss Dunaway for 2019.

Cher brought her sister- the rest of the group were her friends and manager.

What's the big discussion of Cher's kids not being there? Nobody else's kids were there either...and if they were there, they weren't sitting in the honoree box. Reba McEntire's son wasn't there.

Cher's mom can't fly anymore, but in any case it was a weekend of events to honor those selected, not family reunions.

R208 Would you please elaborate on Bab’s son.

R226, I believe R208's comment was because Jason Gould is supposed to be HIV+.

R227 Thanks. I assumed as much..

R206

I'd also like to add to your list of things Cher supports. The sweetest thing that shows so much about her = She say a story about an elderly bi-racial couple who's children wanted to separate them. After the man died one of the children wanted to move her away from the home she'd been living in with her longtime love. This would take her away from their home & the friends she had & put her in a home The other daughter wanted to fight it.

Cher was so moved by the story that she reached out to see what was needed. She then had her lawyers go to court & Cher agreed to pay for the woman's home to be updated & made accessible to the disabled. Cher told the court she would pay for all things for the rest of the woman's life = in home care, medical, food, all funds to run the home, etc.. The judge asked if she understood the cost & Cher's lawyers said she did. The home was updated & the lady is living out her final years in the home she lived with her love & around friends.

Cher is a good egg.

R229, Thanks for that.

The couple's name were Eddie & Edith

For some reason I can't post the link but there's a moving documentary about them.

Search Youtube for Eddie & Edith

I can't be the only one who'd like to see someone slog Linda Manuel Miranda in her smug face with a chocolate cream pie, can I?

Although Lambert's reading of "Believe" was entertaining, it was hardly unique to him. An American Idol or AGT contestant slowed the song down years ago with results more stirring. Perhaps his performance in front of Cher herself is what made it seem so compelling. As far as award shows, The Kennedy Center is the only ceremony I consciously look forward to. The performances simply far outweigh those at any other.

I only watched the Cher segment. Reba seems cool enough but just not into country music. The honors for LL Cool J and The Hamilton group really have diminished this whole thing. And yes the audience members were super annoying. It’s really is mystifying how Cher got in and Liza hasn’t or even Jane Fonda at this point.

R234 Watch the Reba segment with Kelly Clarkson. Kelly nails it.

[quote] The honors for LL Cool J and The Hamilton group really have diminished this whole thing.

Well, they want (or feel pressure) to honor rap as an American art form. The issue is that rap hasn't been around THAT long comparatively and a lot of the early rap icons (Tupac, Biggy, etc) are dead or fizzled out. The only group I could see an argument being made for is the Wu-Tang Clan and I doubt they'd make it through security. I'd agree that Liza is overdue. Carol Channing isn't getting one. She's too ill to travel.

R236 agreed, I loathe rap and hip hop with the heat of a thousand suns, but fuck give it to Russell Simmons who was more of a rap pioneer from the production end than stupid LL cool J who’s rap career dried up a long time ago.

R233 Adam singing on AI.

R224 Right, we don't know if Cher's children were there or not, they could have been in the audience. Like you said Reba's son Shelby was not sitting in the box with her, her boyfriend was. But, I do know that Shelby was in attendance at both the dinner and show because I follow him on social media. I don't follow either of Cher's kids. If I'm not mistaken, I think you only get to have one other person in the box with you.

r221 They don't do posthumous.

r221 Only Glenn Frey has ever been awarded posthumously, and only because the Eagles has asked to postpone their Honors while Glenn recovered from surgery. But by the following year he was dead.

^had asked.

r238 His performance on the KCH was a huge improvement.

Do you have to be American to be recognized?

If not I nominate Eric Clapton. Stellar musician. A part of so many great bands as well as solo. Did so much to bring the blues to white folks. He helped make it more than just an art form that POC knew about. Then add in Clapton's drug & alcohol center that helps people without funds.

Really, you think white people didn't know of the blues until Eric Clapton? I can't decide if you are trolling or just ignorant.

R245 I decided both, Clapton is loathed

Obviously not, if Paul McCartney was honored.

How about Brenda Lee and Connie Francis, both of whom had some of the biggest female records for hits which stood for many years, up there with Streisand and Cher? I agree with Johnny Mathis; also Doris Day -- if she won't attend, there's precedent for when Irene Dunne couldn't travel and they have a remote from her house. Doris could even say "hi" over an audio hookup, like Joan Crawford did when she accepted her Oscar on the radio. But "Hamilton" and LLCoolJ -- that's just dumbing down this award.

Plus Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is all over the radio this time of year. It's a classic among some of her other hits, plus she's one of the first pop/country crossovers.

The public is free to nominate anyone they deem worthy.....just go to The Kennedy Center website and follow the links....the board will then vote on those nominees.

Cher: "I’ve made millions of albums, and most of them are absolutely no good."

At least she's bothered to pay attention to the crapola she's cranking out, with her pancake flat voice and minimal range.

I've been enjoying Cher's covers of various ABBA songs lately. Their songs and her voice are a beautiful match.

No more country singers. They're awful.

Liza Minnelli is so long overdue to be honored by the Kennedy Center. Liza's honoree segment would be electrifying since she has had so many iconic performances from Cabaret to City Lights in the Broadway show, The Act. And whomever was chosen to sing "New York, New York" would bring down the house. After all, NY, NY was written for Liza and she's the one who made it famous first--not Frank Sinatra. But damn, if Liza were ever sitting up in the honoree box, you bitches would be criticizing and slamming her mercilessly simply because she got old. I'm afraid you wouldn't give Liza the respect she deserves and for her outstanding and one-of-a-kind talent as a performer. But in the end, her talent would win. You've got to be nicer than some of your posts.

Had it not been for Cher, this thread would have ended days ago. Cher is queen...or king. Take it like a man.

R199 Sonny was very supportive of Chaz when Chaz originally came out as a lesbian....meanwhile, Cher kind of freaked out and didn't take it very well.

Sonny was a Republican but he was also in show biz and a social liberal.

I think both Chaz and Cher have written about all of this.

Kelly Clarkson meets Cher for the first time and reacts the same as most of us would.

r256...coming out as a lesbian is not the same as changing your sex.

There are lots of posts about this performance, but I only just watched it today. I had to go out and read the lyrics to try to take it all in. I didn't realize that it was written by Bobbie Gentry. I had never heard the song before. It's rather shocking. It's about an 18 year old girl from a desperately poor home, who is sent out to make her fortune in life at 18, by being 'nice to gentlemen'. Kelly Clarkson was amazing. She always is.

[quote]But "Hamilton" and LLCoolJ -- that's just dumbing down this award.

LL was a pioneering artist of rap music. He deserves to get in, but he got in too early. Hamilton is considered a modern day classic. Lin Miranda will most likely be getting in somewhere down the road himself

[quote]How about Brenda Lee and Connie Francis,

Why not Vicki Carr and Julie Budd while we're at it? The Kennedy Center people have advanced beyond using the Victrola.

Helen Lawson declined the honor. "Honey, that award is for the has-beens, the ones that are all warshed up. And Helen is still on top, baby! And that's right where I belong!"

R109, there are always five honorees. HAMILTON was one of the five. If they hadn't picked HAMILTON, there would have been another honoree so no more time would have been given to the remaining four honorees.

Nobody gives a shit about Connie, except on DL.

R260. I love Julie Budd. She's fab.

The Kennedy Center really does feature the best of the best in the business....

This is one of my modern favorites....from the Led Zepplin induction....Lenny Kravitz followed by Heart....I was never a Zepplin fan, but in retrospect, they were fucking awesome....

It's true Cher's singing voice isnt that great but she has an amazing personality, charisma and is more than enough of an entertainer to make up for that.

R266, in the late 1980s, she was always snarling, with a facial expression that alternated between boredom and smelling something bad. Also, she needlessly cursed during her interviews.

Everyone seems to forget that Cher defeated both M and G in the same year.

Julie Budd!!!

r259 People in the audience mouthed the lyrics with huge smiles on their faces like they're singing along to Man I Feel Like a Woman. I suspect many don't know what the song is about, even after all these years.

Kelly did a good job, but nothing is better than when Reba sings it and rips off her furcoat to reveal her red dress on the line "I might've been born just plain white trash, but Fancy was my name"

HAMILTON made absolutely NO SENSE on that show.

Did the creators of The Lion King or Phantom of the Opera get special nods because they were big hits?

R272 and it wasn't like they needed them to attract the Broadway audience. Cher's show just landed on Broadway, and Reba's Annie Get Your Gun turn was included in her tribute.

R248, Actually, Irene Dunne did make the trip to DC, but became ill and could not attend the ceremony.

There been a campaign to get Carol Channing a KCH for years, led by Chita Rivera.

I will make the trip and attend in person.

R275 It does seem strange that she hasn't gotten one, she is one of the rare Broadway stars that even the most uninterested Middle Americans knew. And, her reactions to being honored would be priceless television.

Hell, if Betty White never got one, considering her contributions to the television industry, then no one deserves one.

Little Big Town should do ABBA covers

Where's MY fucking honor?

R279 They are really good at covers, so it would probably work. They were the highlight of the Elton John tribute earlier this year, with Rocket Man

What's this bullshit about Cher not having a good voice? She has a very good voice. I've seen her in concert eight times--and she did not lip sync. And unlike Cher's contemporaries, her voice has remained strong and powerful. It has not gotten raspy or flat. Quite a feat when others her age and younger have lost their clarity.

The first time I saw Sonny and Cher sing "I got you babe", I was so confused. I would have sworn that Sonny's part was sang by a female and that Cher's part was sung by a male.

Well, Sonny's voice was pretty high and Cher's was pretty low, so they were kind of singing in the same range. My Dad used to say he couldn't tell their voices apart on recordings at times.

Burt Bacharach?

Linda Ronstadt?

Joni Mitchell?

r285 Good choices. And if you have Joni, then I guess you have to have Neil.

Okay, so here's Reba's performance of 'Fancy'. I had no idea. She now has a new fan.

Fancy reminds me of Bobbie Gentry.

Funny, she wrote it.

Been there, done.....that.

R215, LOL . . . could not agree more.

Love that Cher was sitting next to Nancy Pelosi. The only 2 other women that would piss off Orange one more would be Hillary or Michelle.

It'll be a few years for him to make it but Marc Shaiman; (he may be combined Scott Whitman). He has an Emmy (11 nominations), Grammy (5 nominations), and Tony (2 nominations), and 5 Oscar noms. Almost and EGOT.

He worked on SNL, and was Skip St Louis in the Sweeney Sister skits. (And we do love the Sweeney Sisters).

He worked with Bette Midler on her goodbye to Johnny Carson.

Addams Family Values - imagine them performing "Eat Us"

South Park - Bigger, Longer, Uncut - they can perform Blame Canada, and finally get Anne Murray!

Hairspray - Good Morning Baltimore, I Know Where I've Been, You Can't Stop the Beat

Mary Poppins Returns - Nowhere to Go but Up. Using the clip below, imagine you get ALL of the musical performers that night to enter the stage at 3:48 so by 4:02 they are all ready to sing...

Roll credits for the evening.

I went to an audition for something with Marc Shaiman in the room, and he could barely take his head out of the computer to look up and even bother to type people out, which was kind of annoying. I guess someone else did. He is talented though, and I think he and Wittman's "Hairspray" is one of the best of the more recent Broadway scores.

R287 yes, that is about the year I attended my first Reba concert, which was also my first concert. I was around seven and I was mesmerized. Dozens of costume changes, props, and dancers. She really put on a show. I was already a fan, but that show made me a superfan until today. It is interesting that she and Cher were honored in the same year because I think it was clear that Reba's shows were the country equivalent of Cher's extravaganzas.

[quote]Funny, she wrote it.

And had a hit with it over 20 years before Reba covered it.

R295, yes and Cher was doing those kind of shows since the late 70s.

R296 Yes, Bobbie Gentry wrote and had a hit with "Fancy", but it is not the song most people associate with her, that would be "Ode to Billy Joe", whereas with Reba, "Fancy" has become the defining hit of her career. Much like how Otis Redding wrote and had a hit with "RESPECT", but it is more associated with Aretha, because her version became iconic and her signature song.

Well, since I'm sort of a nice old gent, I'm going to say that this thread has helped me appreciate Reba McIntyre and country music in general. I'm a Midwesterner, but I absolutely never listen to country music, and I realize that my prejudice has been limiting me. Thanks, everyone.

I literally did not even know Reba sang 'Fancy.' I assumed she was a big star with her own songs before showing up as a charming actor on Broadway and TV and TREMORS.

Seriously, they should have had Kevin Bacon there with a lot of guns.

New country is crap. Listen to the classics.

A true classic.....

KCH should’ve honored Bobbie Gentry.

[quote]Yes, Bobbie Gentry wrote and had a hit with "Fancy", but it is not the song most people associate with her, that would be "Ode to Billy Joe", whereas with Reba, "Fancy" has become the defining hit of her career. Much like how Otis Redding wrote and had a hit with "RESPECT", but it is more associated with Aretha, because her version became iconic and her signature song.

Fuck that song-stealing bitch Aretha. "I Say a Little Prayer" was MINE first.

Dionne, if you have any psychic abilities you would know you aren't ever getting one.

Sorry to say it, but when Ms. Warwick was on the Apprentice, she made Donald Trump look sympathetic. I'm sorry to confess I watched that crappy show a few seasons. When he got rid of Cyndi Lauper, a real sweetheart I used to know, because of lies that the rather nasty Holly Robinson Peete said, I was out of there for good.

"Fancy" by Bobbie Gentry is the first and only song about a mother pimping out her daughter. Rather tacky for the composer of an American classic like "Ode to Billy Joe" - still Gentry's version is miles ahead of the tacky Reba's.

The mother doesn't actually pimp her daughter out. The mother buys her a red dress, and tells her basically this is what you have to do, because we don't have any money and sends her away. If she was pimping her, she would have been getting her clients and taking a percentage of the money.

"Fancy" is my strongest statement for women's lib, if you really listen to it. I agree wholeheartedly with that movement and all the serious issues that they stand for—equality, equal pay, day care centers, and abortion rights.

Why was it ok to bring up Reba's Colonel Sanders KFC commercials, but no mention of Cher's Lori Davis infomercials?

^^^^^^^ Well that's easy. Reba reeks of extra crispy and you can't cover that stink up so you might as well embrace it.

In what other world would you ever find Philip Glass sitting next to Reba Macintyre?