This year’s Kennedy Center honorees include the Eagles, Al Pacino, and Mavis Staples
Aux Features TVAl Pacino and the Eagles are among the 2016 Kennedy Center honorees, alongside Mavis Staples, James Taylor, and pianist Martha Argerich. The Eagles’ inclusion is rather poignant as the band was set to be recognized last year, but delayed its participation because of Glenn Frey’s health. Frey died in January of this year, so the performance in tribute to the group’s legacy will undoubtedly also serve as a memorial to its lead singer.
Kennedy Center president Deborah F. Rutter said all of the honorees have “played a unique role in shaping America’s artistic landscape with their work, expressing their creativity in ways that pushed the boundaries of what art can do, and what it can mean. Their artistic triumphs have motivated us, moved us, and will continue to inspire us for generations to come.”
The gala will take place December 4, with the show airing December 27 on CBS. This will also be President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s last chance to hang out in the Presidential box with Kennedy Center honorees, which has made for good TV in the past.