James Earl Jones among 2002 Kennedy Center honorees

Jet, Dec 23, 2002

Noted Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor James Earl Jones was among the recipients of this year's Kennedy Center Honors at the 25th annual celebration of the arts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Other recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors were legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor, singer/songwriter Paul Simon, actress/singer/dancer Chita Rivera and conductor James Levine.

Five of the world's most talent artists, from five different fields, are recognized each year by the president and the first lady for their lifetime contributions to the performing arts. The honors are voted on by a national committee and are considered to be one of the top awards in the category of performing arts. The weekend-long event has traditionally been the highlight of the Washington cultural year.

A mix of politicians, Hollywood celebrities and performing arts legends joined President Bush in celebrating the five honorees.

"People say that the voice of the president is the most easily recognized Mice in America. Well, I'm not going to make that claim in the presence of James Earl Jones," said President Bush.

The awards ceremony included a State Department dinner hosted by Secretary of State Colin Powell, who also teased Jones about his recognizable voice. "I can't escape the Brother," he said. "I may be in Katmandu, Asia or Africa, trying to get some rest. And I flick that clicker and hear (Jones say), `This is CNN.'"

Famed actors Charles S. Dutton and Courtney B. Vance honored Jones, 71, with a reading. Grammy Award-winning singer Dionne Warwick and Burt Bachamch entertained the audience by singing That's What Friends Are For to Taylor as a nod to her work for AIDS. Alicia Keys, another Grammy-winning artist, performed a jazz arrangement of Simon's hit Bridge Over Troubled Water.

The honorees, dressed in formal attire, did not speak or perform but instead sat in the president's box and enjoyed the ceremony. The show will be televised on CBS on Dec. 27.