The 29th Annual Kennedy Center Honors was held on December 3 in Washington, D.C. The group of stars from film, stage, and music that were honored this year was quite varied. The recipients of this year’s awards were:
– Famed director Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Jaws
– Singer/actress Dolly Parton (9 to 5, Steel Magnolias)
– R&B legend Smokey Robinson (“Tears of a Clown,” “I Second that Emotion”)
– Composer extraordinaire Andrew Lloyd Webber (“The Phantom of the Opera,” “Jesus Christ Superstar”)
– and Conductor Zubin Mehta (music director of the New York Philharmonic from 1978 to 1991 )
The show celebrates their lifetime contributions of the recipients to the arts and American culture. Also appearing at the ceremony were Senator Ted Kennedy, Sidney Poitier, Liam Neeson, Reese Witherspoon, Joan Collins, Tom Hanks, and Rita Wilson with performances by Jessica Simpson, Kenny Rogers, Alison Krauss, Carrie Underwood, and Shania Twain.
CBS has not broadcast the show yet, but there is a bit of controversy surrounding it already. Jessica Simpson sang the hit song “9 to 5” as a tribute to Dolly Parton. However, despite cue cards, reports are that she kept flubbing the words and ended up in tears, telling Dolly that “You make me so nervous, I can’t even sing the words right” before fleeing the stage. Simpson’s problem performance, according to her publicist: was simply a case of Jessica being “overcome with emotion.” Cindi Berger went on to say that Jessica wanted her performance to be perfect because she idolizes Dolly. Word is that Simpson was crying backstage as she watched the video tribute to Dolly being played.
So the question is, when the 29th Annual Kennedy Center Honors airs later this month, will they cut Jessica’s performance, film a “re-do,” or just leave it as is? Sources say that Simpson was able to tape her performance again after the show ended and that is the version we will see on December 26th.
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