Last night, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama spent an evening honoring a diverse group of entertainers including members of Led Zeppelin and a prima ballerina at the 35th annual Kennedy Center Honors. Recipients of the awards included blues guitarist and singer Buddy Guy, actor Dustin Hoffman, late-night host David Letterman, former prima ballerina Natalia Makarova, and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones.
The first couple hosted the Washington DC event — which includes a reception at the White House prior to the program at the Kennedy Center — and the president even cracked a joke about the Zeppelin honorees. He said, "These guys also redefined the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. We do not have video of this . . . but there were some hotel rooms trashed and mayhem all around. So it's fitting that we're doing this in a room with windows that are about three inches thick — and Secret Service all around. So, guys, just settle down. These paintings are valuable."
There were performances by Tracy Chapman, Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, Kid Rock, and Heart, and presenters included Alec Baldwin, Jimmy Kimmel, Morgan Freeman, Jack Black, and Tina Fey. When introducing Letterman, Tina poked fun at the late-night host, saying that he "began his career as a choreographer and black opera singer in the 1950s." She added that he's a national treasure "like the Grand Canyon, the Chicago skyline, or the top two Kardashians." See the celebrities, as well as a very glamorous Barack and Michelle Obama, at the Kennedy Center Honors now!
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