Hollywood actor Dustin Hoffman and television comedian and talk show host David Letterman were among seven artists recognized on Sunday in Washington as recipients of this year's Kennedy Centre Honours. Letterman was at Ball State University last Monday. His "Conversation with Oprah" was part of the David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series, which was established in 2008.
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hosted a reception at the White House at which Hoffman and Letterman were joined by the other recipients, ballerina Natalia Makarova, blues guitarist Buddy Guy and the surviving members of rock group Led Zeppelin.
"Tonight's honorees didn't just take up their crafts to make a living. They did it because they couldn't imagine living any other way," Obama said during the reception, according to a transcript of his remarks released by the White House.
"That passion took each of them from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of their profession. Tonight, in the people's house, we have a chance to say thank you."
It is the 35th installment of the honorary event, and it includes a gala at the Kennedy Centre, a prestigious performing arts venue in Washington.
At the White House reception Obama addressed each of the award winners individually, teasing Letterman, who has been on late-night television for 30 years, saying "It's different when you're not the one with the mic, isn't it, Dave? Hoffman has had a long career in cinema, including the hits The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, Tootsie, Rain Man and Hook.
Obama said that was "not bad for a guy who signed up for his first acting class after a friend told him, 'nobody flunks acting, it's like gym.'" Obama also praised Makarova for pursuing dance in the US after defecting from the Soviet Union in 1970, Guy as "one of the last guardians of the great American blues" and the members of Led Zeppelin as a band that "grabbed America from the opening chord" with hits like Stairway to Heaven.
The president concluded his remarks by saying that all those in attendance could "remember a moment when the people on this stage touched our lives." In addition to the award winners, the event was attended by a number of celebrities including Hollywood stars Alec Baldwin, Morgan Freeman and Robert De Niro.
After the reception the president and first lady travelled to the Kennedy Centre for the gala programme. The performances from the event will be taped for broadcast on December 26.
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