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Tag: Al Green

  • Tom Hanks, Sting and Lily Tomlin to Receive Kennedy Center Honors

    Actor-director Tom Hanks, British singer Sting, comedian Lily Tomlin, R&B singer Al Green and ballerina Patricia McBride are the five recipients of this year’s Kennedy Center Honors, the center announced Thursday.

    “The Kennedy Center celebrates five extraordinary individuals who have spent their lives elevating the cultural vibrancy of our nation and the world,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein.

    “Al Green’s iconic voice stirs our souls in a style that is all his own; Tom Hanks has a versatility that ranks him among the greatest actors of any generation; one of the world’s greatest ballerinas, Patricia McBride continues to carry forward her legacy for future generations; Sting’s unique voice and memorable songwriting have entertained audiences for decades; and from the days of her early television and theatrical appearances, Lily Tomlin has made us laugh and continues to amaze us with her acting talent and quick wit,” said Rubenstein.

    The honorees of this year’s gala will be seated with President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, and will “accept the thanks of their peers through performances and tributes.”

    The awards gala, the 37th annual national celebration of the arts, is scheduled to be held Dec. 7 and recorded for broadcast on CBS on Dec. 30.

    According to the Kennedy Center website, the five honorees will be received at the White House prior to the performance and will enjoy a supper dance in the Grand Foyer following the gala evening.

    Last year, the Kennedy Center honored Shirley MacLaine, Carlos Santana, Martina Arroyo, Herbie Hancock and Billy Joel.

  • House Democrats Arrested During Immigration Reform Protest

    With the current Government Shutdown happening in Washington, D.C., many protests have occurred on The National Mall. Today, outside of the Capitol Building in Washington, an Immigration Reform protest formed, and eight Democrat lawmakers from various states were arrested at the protest.

    According to NBC News, the eight Democrats who were arrested were: John Lewis (Georgia), Luis Gutierrez (Illinois), Charlie Rangel (New York), Raul Grijalva (Arizona), Joe Crowley (New York), Jan Schakowsky (Illinois), Keith Ellison (Minnesota), and Al Green (Texas). All of these House Democrats (along with other activists) attended the protest as a “sit-in” near the Capitol’s west side.

    The eight lawmakers listed above were arrested due to “crowding, obstructing, and incommoding” (Source: CBS News). As they were arrested, the lawmakers did not resist nor retaliate; however, they were rather calm and collected, because it was certain that they were expecting to be arrested for what they were doing and what they were standing for, which was “to push Congress to pass broad immigration legislation that includes a path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally.” (Source: NY Times).

    With their arrests, many of the lawmakers turned to Twitter:

    [Image source: Vine]

  • Obama And Al Green Duet?

    Obama And Al Green Duet?

    Ever since President Obama’s famous Al Green vocal snippet, the video of him singing, though very brief, has gone viral receiving millions of hits on YouTube. Since going viral the audio has even become available for download as a ringtone and now American Idol execs are pushing for a duet between The President and Mr. Green.

    http://youtu.be/T-hDt2E8MoE

    According to a source, American Idol top dog Nigel Lythgoe wants Mr. President to come on the show to perform the full song with the original singer, Mr. Al Green.

    Nigel actually recently tweeted about the subject.