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♪

Welcome to the Kennedy Center Opera House,

Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX

a living memorial to the legacy of the great

President John F. Kennedy, who once said

that if more politicians knew poetry,

and more poets knew politics,

I am convinced the world would be a little better place.

This national cultural center

was created for all Americans.

Poets, politicians,

and everyone in between.

Art doesn't care where you're from.

Or what you look like.

Art can be small,

or it can be very big.

And it can be any color of the rainbow.

Like yellow, heh.

Big and yellow.

Sounds like me.

That's right, Big Bird.

Art has the power

to bring us together

by breaking down barriers

and highlighting our shared humanity.

That's why we're here.

At tonight we'll tell you the stories

of five artists who continue the legacy

of the 244 honorees who came before them.

They are stories of tenacity,

stories of faith,

stories of unfettered creativity

and stories of endurance.

And I know a little about that.

We're all honored to be part of this legacy.

And we're thrilled to welcome the 45th class

of Kennedy Center Honorees.

Acclaimed actor and filmmaker George Clooney.

The legendary Empress of Soul,

Gladys Knight.

The Queen of Christian Pop, Amy Grant.

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer

and music ambassador Tania León.

Iconic rock band U2!

Friends of the arts

the Vice President of the United States

and the Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff.

Friends of the arts

the President of the United States

and First Lady Jill Biden.

♪

ANNOUNCER: From Washington, D.C.,

and The United States National Cultural Center,

it's the Kennedy Center Honors.

BROOKS: First of all,

you're talking about one of the greatest voices

we've ever had.

Not to mention one of the most gorgeous creatures

we've ever seen inside and out, too.

I'm gonna quote Gladys here, she says,

"Bring on the pain.

"Bring on the glory.

"I will be in this fight to share my gifts,

to enjoy my blessings, and to be loved."

ANNOUNCER: Please welcome rapper, actor, and 2017 Kennedy Center Honoree

LL Cool J.

Just like stars in the night sky,

Gladys Knight illuminates everything and everyone

in her orbit.

But make no mistake:

she's no ordinary star.

No matter what Gladys is singing,

she connects with you on a deeper, spiritual level.

I once heard Gladys

sing the ABCs and I thought I was in church.

True story.

That's the real reason why she's known as the Empress of Soul.

Gladys is gospel.

She's country. She's rock 'n' roll.

And of course, hip-hop.

A lot of artists have sampled her music,

so on behalf of the culture, I just want to say,

thank you, Gladys.

You truly are an inspiration.

Not just to me,

but to everyone who has been blessed to orbit your star.

Wouldn't be here without you.

Please welcome Garth Brooks.

Gladys has roots in country music.

As a matter of fact, her biggest hit started

as a country ballad.

After changing a couple of lyrics,

and adding that signature touch of Gladys Knight soul,

what was once "Midnight Plane to Houston"...

True story.

...became "Midnight Train to Georgia."

And the rest, as they say, is history.

But to do this song right,

and to do Gladys right,

we're gonna need us

The Pips.

♪

Yeah. Yeah.

♪

WESLEY MORRIS: Anybody who's heard Gladys Knight

knows the strength of that voice.

MORRIS: This meaty, mighty, textured instrument

of deceptive elegance

and tremendous emotional urgency.

Why does Gladys Knight need to sound strong?

Because her art is the opposite of strength.

Why should any of us fear vulnerability

when this woman sounds so powerful confessing hers?

MORRIS: Gladys grew up in the Atlanta of the 1940s

and 1950s, one of Merald Knight Sr.

and Sarah Woods' four children,

America would've first seen and heard her sing in 1952

on the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour.

GLADYS KNIGHT: If I win tonight, I'll feel

like Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland

all rolled into one.

TED MACK: Well, that'll be fine,

just as long as you still sing like Gladys Knight.

KNIGHT: That's the only way I know how, Mr. Mack.

MORRIS: She won, of course.

And the urge to sing for people burned in her.

After her television debut, she sang in local talent shows

with her family performing as The Pips.

I have two cousins, William and Edward

and my brother, Merald.

Yeah.

MORRIS: But the 1950s and '60s

were terrible times for Black performers

in this country.

Racism everywhere, promoters refusing to pay,

fourth-rate lodging, threats on the road,

you had to be strong out there.

It's a strength that doesn't seek to

change the world or break the sound barrier.

It's a strength that wants to sing what we all know

and what we all have been through.

And she's never been afraid to show us

how intense devotion can sound.

MORRIS: And evidently Gladys's kind of strength proved contagious.

For here is a woman backed by, backedup by three men.

Three men whose bodies move in time with hers.

The Pips respond to her call.

They follow her lead.

MORRIS: Speak, we'll listen.

Fall, we'll catch you.

MORRIS: For more than 60 years, Gladys Knight

has opened up her heart more than any of us would dare.

And achieved something extraordinary,

-but also inevitable. -Ms. Gladys Knight!

MORRIS: She's pulled us firmly into her orbit and...

ANNOUNCER: Please welcome Academy Award winner

Ariana DeBose.

So, growing up in North Carolina,

I'd be in the car with my grandma,

and as we drive down the road,

we'd be listening to Motown.

And that is when I first heard Ms. Gladys Knight sing

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine."

And in that moment, man, that voice,

it changed my world.

I thank you, Gladys,

and I thank our musical director tonight, Ricky Minor,

for this very special arrangement of

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine."

♪

♪

♪

♪

ANNOUNCER: Mickey Guyton, Arianna DeBose

and Patti LaBelle show what friends are for

as our tribute to Gladys Knight continues.

And, later, the stars come together

to salute Irish mega band U2.

The Kennedy Center Honors. This is CBS.

Sponsored by Progressive Insurance.

Save when you bundle auto, home or motorcycle insurance.

Gladys, your voice has spoken to what breaks our hearts,

what tears us apart, what lifts our spirits,

what brings us together.

You're truly one of the best things

ever to happen to any of us.

ANNOUNCER: Please welcome back LL Cool J.

Gladys's music empowers the listener,

but also serves as a blueprint

for other artists who would follow.

Like this next artist,

who is carving her own unique path.

Please welcome Mickey Guyton!

They say don't ever meet your heroes.

And they will disappoint you.

But that is not true with Gladys.

I got to perform with her last year

and she made me feel like I was part of her family.

Gladys, this song is how we all feel about you.

And now, it's time to bring out

another member of Gladys's extended family

who is a legend in her own right.

Please put your hands together

for the one and only Patti LaBelle!

PATTI LABELLE: My, my, my.

First of all, Gladys,

I have to say things about you

that no people know that I know about you

and feel about you.

For six decades, we've been friends.

We were there for all kinds of laughs and giggles

and cries and hardships.

We toured together. We do everything together.

God knows you're phenomenal.

I am honored to honor you tonight, my darling.

But I can't do it by myself.

I need some friends to come on out here

and sing it with me. Come on, boo boo.

Come on, y'all. Whoo!

-Sing, Garth.

Thank you, Gladys Knight.

-Whoo!

Thank you.

We love you, Gladys.

Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon

and more lead a star-studded tribute

to George Clooney.

Plus more thrilling performances.

The Kennedy Center Honors will continue.

This is CBS.

One thing I respect most about George,

and I mean this sincerely,

is his deep empathy.

He is unrelenting and undaunted.

That's character, in real life.

And that's George Clooney.

GEORGE CLOONEY: And I've been lucky enough to meet,

you know, millions of people

and they all without exception agree,

"You sucked as Batman."

All together in it. I mean, it's like

we could solve world problems

if we just all could agree on

more than just that I sucked at Batman.

ANNOUNCER: She's one of George Clooney's favorite costars

and one of his closest friends.

Please welcome Julia Roberts.

Wow.

This old thing? What?

I'm here for Gladys Knight, can't you tell?

The Renaissance man.

One who has wide interests and excels in many fields.

Now, to be a Renaissance man,

it is said one must possess these six characteristics.

To be knowledgeable,

artistic, physical,

intelligent, social,

and, well, cool.

Now, I've had the great experience in this life

to meet a lot of deeply interesting people,

people who are gifted, who transform space and time

right before your eyes,

who walk the earth as a kind of poetry.

And I can tell you in a group of these mentors,

these blessed and impactful folks,

that my friend George Clooney

is head and shoulders above the crowd.

Maybe it is the small-town Southern girl in me

that responds to the uniquely small-town Southern boy

in him, but I've just always felt that I really see George,

and he really sees me.

He is the best combination

of gentleman and playmate.

Over the years,

I've come to realize that George and I agree on most things.

Music, what old movies we treasure,

which one of us is funnier.

And the great satisfaction

of sitting down at a bar for a drink, for a conversation,

to learn, to connect with the world and each other,

to share time and hold space with friends

in an almost sacred way.

In a bar like this.

♪

This is exactly the type of bar that George loves.

Warm, cozy, and with the people that he loves,

that love him.

Here we are.

In this bar, George, all of our friends are here.

I'm Dianne Reeves,

and this is the kind of place I like to perform in.

And this is a song I did

for George Clooney's Good Night and Good Luck.

-Thank you.

And a special thanks

to the man without whom George would not be here,

his dad, Nick Clooney.

-Mwah!

-Thank you so much.

Thank you.

So much.

It was 1968.

Bad year for our country.

I was hosting a TV show

when Dr. King was murdered in Memphis.

And I was writing some remarks for my show

when my family joined me in the green room.

Seven-year-old George had a large paper bag in his hand.

I asked him what in the world was in the bag?

Well, he went to the coffee table.

He turned the bag upside down.

Out poured all of his toy guns,

landing with a clatter.

And he said, "Pop, I don't want these anymore.

None of them. Never."

Well, I tore up my speech.

Nothing I would have written would've been nearly as eloquent

as what George had just done and said.

He has never stopped from that day to this, surprising me.

Never stopped growing. Never stopped learning.

And George's best and most important work

is still ahead of him.

-If I didn't mention it,

I was and I am,

and I will always be

very proud to be the father of George Clooney.

I'm Richard Kind.

I first met George over 30 years ago.

We played brothers on a failed sitcom pilot.

Now, at the time, I was such a good actor

that I was the handsome brother.

-But through tenacity and hard work,

George became handsomer and ultimately a movie star.

I decided to go in a different direction.

Now, getting to be a classic movie star

didn't happen overnight.

His meteoric rise took about 15 years

and he was saddled with such movies as

Grizzly II, Return to Horror High,

Combat Highand Return of the Killer Tomatoes.

But I contend

that George Clooney would not be the man he is today

if he had not taken that journey.

The man and the actor were prepared for success.

Now, he and I used to watch old movies.

The actor that he always loved was Spencer Tracy.

And the performance that always hit home for George

was-was Spencer Tracy in the movie

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.

Because in the final scene he looks straight

into the actor's eyes, who he's talking to,

and he simply tells the truth.

He says to the interracial couple, quote,

"If you two feel for each other

"half of what I felt for my wife...

...it's everything."

Everything that you are, George,

the actor, the producer, the writer, the director,

is embodied in that final speech.

The truth of the moment.

The inherent liberal goodness of humanity.

An unshakable morality delivered in quality entertainment.

Because that is George Clooney, the artist.

And that is George Clooney, the man.

Now, let's take a look at a film about

my great friend George Clooney narrated by another one of his

great friends, Brad Pitt.

BRAD PITT: If you're George Clooney,

it's all about choices.

The decisions to move through life

always reaching for the things that stretch you,

the roles that challenge you, and the moments that show you

who you want to become.

-I'm Frank. -It's Jack.

Dodge Connelly.

I'm Sergeant First Class Lyn Cassady.

-Matt King. -Michael Clayton.

-Dr. Ross. -Daniel Ocean.

George's choices taught him to take control

of his own career.

I just have some unfinished business.

PITT: To always know who he is.

And the roles he wanted to take.

The guy who will take it for the kid.

Action stars.

Leading men.

I knew what I was doing.

PITT: Heroes.

This is why Superman works alone.

PITT: He's shown his willingness

to get beaten up for the right reasons.

-Ah! Not until later. -Sorry, Danny.

I-I forgot.

It's all right.

-Choices come with risk. -Okay.

PITT: But for George, they've come with great reward.

They've enabled him to consistently grow as an artist.

To direct his own films.

To create characters who show the same human progression.

You're either in or you're out.

PITT: And to make art that makes us think

and helps us grow.

Films that leave us contemplating the wonder

of our very existence.

Got to admit one thing.

Can't beat the view.

PITT: George's consciousness and his personal responsibility,

abiding passion and deep convictions

has led him to other choices.

George Clooney, a human rights activist...

Highly respected film director...

NEWSWOMAN: A longtime advocate...

George Clooney was arrested today...

Choices that have led him beyond the screen

and into the daily lives of millions.

George has said that his biggest fear

is doing the same thing ten years from now.

For him, that would be a failure.

Which is why he says he is constantly reassessing,

continually asking himself what he is going to do next

to make it a good, long, full journey.

-All right, you ready? -Whatever his choices

in years to come, they will

continue to contribute to his greatest role ever:

being George Clooney.

Hi. I'm Matt Damon.

And I can no longer read the teleprompter without glasses.

It has been said that my friend George Clooney

is the last of the true movie stars, so...

I got to thinking about what exactly that meant.

Of course, a number of past Kennedy Center Honorees

have certainly been movie stars in that classic sense,

actors with class and sophistication.

Cary Grant and Henry Fonda,

Paul Newman, Gregory Peck.

And then I think of George,

uh, a man who once defecated

in Richard Kind's kitty litter box as a joke.

A man who once stole Bill Clinton's stationery

and wrote fake notes to actors

saying how much the president loved their movies.

And, George, I know a lot of people think you have

movie star looks, but let's be honest,

it takes a village to style a star

and to be Peoplemagazine's Sexiest Man Alive.

I've been there. Those experts can transform anyone.

Even this guy.

There he is.

Yeah, Amal, so that's George Clooney. That is...

...the Sexiest Man Alive

and you married him, congratulations.

But let's go beyond the haircut, if we possibly can...

...and talk about George's work.

The Kennedy Center Honor went to Gregory Peck

for playing Atticus Finch,

it went to Henry Fonda for playing Tom Joad,

and George...

George was everyone's sixth favorite Batman.

George, I would never

call you the last true movie star.

Because that would diminish you.

You are one of the most talented people I have ever met

across multiple disciplines.

And here's the thing: if you said to people

that George worked with 20 years ago

that in two decades he'd have two Academy Awards,

he'd be nominated for Oscars in six different categories,

and we'd all be in black tie in this beautiful venue

watching him receive the Kennedy Center Honor,

absolutely none of us would've been surprised.

George, it's been a privilege to work with you

on the hits and the misses.

And it's a privilege to call you my friend.

But still there is this.

There is this, so...

Congratulations. I love you.

Don Cheadle.

ERmade George a TV star.

Out of Sightmade him a movie star.

But it's his passion for bettering society

that led him to what I think is his most important legacy:

his charity work, his advocacy,

and his humanitarianism.

For over a decade, George has worked to bring attention

to the genocide and refugee crisis in Darfur,

and it's been a source of both hope and despair

as you watch even today

the struggles for the planet's newest country

to achieve peace and liberty.

George has been tireless

in raising money for the organization,

Not On Our Watch.

As well as the Satellite Sentinel Project.

And it goes beyond just writing a check for George,

who doesn't just talk the talk, but he walks the walk.

George also embarked on one of

the wisest collaborations of his life when he and Amal

decided to tie the knot, and start a family,

something that many of us thought we would never see

and he would never have the wherewithal

or the good sense to do.

And now not only does the world

have a couple more little Clooneys to chase around,

but we also thankfully have

their Clooney Foundation for Justice.

And this past September,

I was proud to throw in with George once again

cofounding a school in Los Angeles,

the Roybal Film and Television Magnet,

aimed at infusing talented inner city youth directly

into the entertainment industry.

George, you truly are a man of peace, an inspiration,

one of my ride-or-dies,

and, uh, you proved that saints aren't just in heaven,

they can also be found in a bar.

Last call.

♪

You are a giant.

You are a beacon truly leading all who know you

to a happier, more fulfilling path.

You are our Renaissance man.

And what a joy to see you honored in this way tonight.

We love you.

Cheers.

Cheers, cheers.

-♪ -To George.

ANNOUNCER: Our tribute to Amy Grant

featuring Sheryl Crow,

Katie Couric, and The Highwomen is next.

Plus later, a special guest from overseas

and Sean Penn celebrate U2.

The Kennedy Center Honors. This is CBS.

ANNOUNCER: Please welcome the chairman of the Kennedy Center,

David Rubenstein.

Since its creation over 50 years ago,

the Kennedy Center has remained true

to its mission of making the arts accessible to all Americans

and serving as a leader in our nation's arts education.

And honoring President Kennedy's vision

of the role that the arts can serve in our society.

Uniting us, inspiring us, and reflecting

the magnificent diversity of the American people.

President Kennedy believed that art is a form of truth,

and attests to the very quality of a nation's civilization.

The arts, their essential truth,

and the legacy of these artists raise our spirits,

bring us together,

and help define that by which our society is remembered.

It is the reason we honor

this year's Kennedy Center Honors recipients

and their unique talents that have enriched us all--

individually, and enriched our nation.

We are thankful to CBS, to all of you here tonight,

and to the millions watching at home

for your support of the arts.

JOE BIDEN: Amy Grant.

Amy calls music a soul-enlarging experience.

Her voice is a true gift of God that she shares with everyone.

I look at my life and how I see myself,

I just kind of feel like a little flat garden hose.

And in the morning, I wake up and I go, "Well...

"you're just gonna shower on the world whatever you stick

the other end of your hose in."

ANNOUNCER: And now, award-winning journalist and producer,

Katie Couric.

For Amy Grant, it all started in church.

It's where the faith that is the bedrock of her life

and career took root.

And it's where she returns time and again,

for guidance and inspiration.

When a tape she made of her music

was discovered by a producer at Word Records,

a Christian label,

she was offered a recording contract

just five weeks shy of her 16th birthday.

Ever since, with simple tools--

a pen and a guitar and that clear, sweet, comforting voice--

she has moved and uplifted us, offering the perfect elixir

for troubled times and troubled souls.

I've been the fortunate recipient

of her wisdom and grace because

part of Amy's generous spirit means sharing

the lessons she has learned:

about how she and her wonderful husband Vince Gill

blended their families, about loving

and supporting your kids as they grow up,

and loving and supporting your parents as they grow old.

I'm sure her practical advice

has helped countless people looking for guidance.

Sure, Amy has sold 30 million albums worldwide

and won six Grammys,

but she has never lost sight of the things that really matter:

faith and family.

Take if from the people who at times, I'm sure,

have been among her toughest critics: her kids.

She loves her family, our family so deeply.

She takes from family and uses that for her songs.

SARAH: Family ties run so deep with her

and I think that's a human quality that is so relatable.

She's able to relate to a single mom, a blended family.

JENNY: Amy's a trailblazer. She has an idea and she does it.

I love that energy about her.

She doesn't say my way is right and your way is wrong.

It's faith-based, she sings about everybody being welcome

and spreading love and kindness

and it's not preachy.

She just kept doing what was honest for her.

At age 25, she's one of the biggest selling

gospel artists of all time.

But she's different to say the least.

She's probably the first artist to dance onstage

in leather pants, no shoes, and a leopard-skin jacket

while singing about Jesus.

My mom venturing into new genres and moving more

in the pop direction just allowed her to reach more people

which I think is a beautiful thing.

I was in middle school when her pop crossover happened.

And all my girlfriends in the neighborhood

were obsessed with Amy Grant.

I'd listen to her music with them

and now I'm singing live with her.

I think it just felt natural for her

to include us in special moments.

We were just a part of her life,

so touring with her,

wherever she went, we were able to go with her.

We got to get Sarah to smile, the baby has not smiled.

I suppose, in retrospect,

being that she was a new mother, I could see how dedicating

"Lead Me On" to her firstborn kid

might be a little fun bookmark.

MILLIE: It always meant a lot that she had written it for me,

but I think, you know, it wasn't until after having

a child that really helped me to understand how

all-encompassing that type of love is.

"Heirlooms" was one of the first songs

that I sang and it was a duet.

Just me and my mom and her playing guitar,

beaming with the joy

that comes from the love of family that is expressed

in those lyrics.

♪

ANNOUNCER: And now, nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer,

songwriter and musician Sheryl Crow.

Amy, you inspire me as a musician, as a mom,

and as a great friend.

ANNOUNCER: Up next,

our tribute to Amy Grant

continues with BeBe and CeCe Winans.

Plus stars of opera and classical music

honor composer Tania León.

The Kennedy Center Honors will continue.

This is CBS.

Please welcome The Highwomen's Natalie Hemby.

My father wrote songs for Amy

and my mother has been her personal assistant

for almost 40 years.

So I grew up watching her up close.

And I can attest that she is the kindest

and most real example of what artistry

anchored in humility and honesty look like.

In a noisy world, she is a whisper of welcome.

On behalf of my fellow Highwomen,

my friends Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris,

and Amanda Shires,

we would like to thank Amy

for being a porch light to our crowded table.

Woohoo!

Wow.

Amy is known for being one of the nicest people in Nashville.

And an exemplar of this well-worn advice:

"To thine own self be true."

And speaking of great quotations, Amy,

you once shared the four words your sweet mom said to you,

words you've never forgotten:

"Sing something that matters."

Well, you've done it.

And you're still doing it.

Whether lullabies, Christmas music--

my personal favorite "Grown Up Christmas List"

always makes me cry--

ballads, pop songs or hymns, what you sing, Amy, matters.

Your music is a constant reminder of what's important.

And very simply, that's love.

And now, Grammy Award-winning gospel singers

BeBe and CeCe Winans, with Michael W. Smith.

BEBE: My sister and I

know a little bit about family and faith.

And, Amy, you're the real deal.

BEBE: And tonight she is the reason why

CeCe and I are here.

To celebrate your heart.

Amy, it's been the pleasure of my life

to collaborate with you all these years.

♪

We love you, Amy!

We love you!

Our tribute to composer Tania León is next,

featuring stars of dance, classical music and opera.

This is CBS.

The Kennedy Center Honors-- sponsored by Bounty,

The Quicker Picker Upper.

BIDEN: Tania León,

she became one of the most important classical

composers and conductors of our time.

We thank her for breathing new sounds

into the soul of the nation.

Every time something happens to me, such as this surprise,

I invite all my ancestors' spirits to go with me.

If I'm gonna write a piece,

I call my ancestors and say, "You better help me

because, I mean, the deadline is in two weeks."

ANNOUNCER: Now, please welcome actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith.

Tania León once told me a story about her grandmother Mamota.

When Mamota was a little girl

she had to clean the house of a wealthy person.

In one room there was a piano.

Mamota was told not to touch the piano.

She touched it and she was beaten.

This story became the seed of my first produced play Piano.

I dedicated that play to Tania León

and I am excited to be here tonight to tell you her story.

It all started with a piano.

♪

When Tania was born in Havana in 1943,

her grandmother Mamota held her up to the sun

for heavenly guidance and had a vision

that Tania would travel far and wide.

Did her grandmother know then that the key to Tania's destiny

could be found at the local music conservatory?

It was there Tania discovered the piano.

Which would provide the roadmap

for the life Mamota had predicted.

Tania's talent and perfect pitch were evident immediately.

LEON: By the time I was in my teens,

I had the tendency to rearrange

every single piece that I would play.

SMITH: She dreamed of pursuing a career in music

outside of Cuba.

On May 29, 1967, she boarded a freedom flight to America.

Her passport was canceled but not her drive to succeed.

♪

In New York City, Tania enrolled at NYU,

the piano offering comfort in an unfamiliar place.

♪

Her journey continued to unfold when a classmate

asked her to fill in as an accompanist

for a dance class in Harlem.

As the dancers assembled, Tania sat down at the piano

and the course of her life changed once again.

ARTHUR MITCHELL: She was interested in a job.

And so I said, "Well, fine, you know, sit down and play."

And she touched the keys and I said, "Oh.

You're wonderful, you're hired."

SMITH: Tania joined Arthur Mitchell's new venture

as one of the founding members of the Dance Theater of Harlem,

composing some of the company's pivotal works.

It was during their first European tour

that Tania's journey branched out onto a new path,

this time to conducting the company's orchestra.

Tania's passion led her to Tanglewood,

where Leonard Bernstein recognized her talents,

becoming a mentor and good friend.

As Mamota had predicted, Tania was soon traveling

the globe, conducting celebrated performances.

Be very active because it requires that.

♪

SMITH: Sadly, Tania never saw Mamota again.

But when she was finally allowed to return to Cuba,

she unlocked the key

that would propel her to the artistic heights

we celebrate tonight.

LEON: Give everything that you have

and then tomorrow give it more.

Now I'm thrilled to be joined by composer, activist,

and classical pianist Chloe Flower.

When Tania began letting the sounds of Cuba in,

her art became uniquely hers.

I am honored to have the chance to perform

one of those singularly Tania León pieces for you now.

Please welcome the Dance Theater of Harlem to the stage.

This is "Tumbao."

♪

♪

♪

♪

ANNOUNCER: Please welcome cellist Sterling Elliott,

the Kennedy Center's artistic director for jazz Jason Moran,

and mezzo soprano Alicia Hall Moran.

Tania's story continues to unfold

with the piano still as a main character.

It was on the piano that she created her composition

"Stride," which imagines the relentless forward motion

of Susan B. Anthony

toward the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

And now it's my great pleasure to introduce

the Kennedy Center Honors Orchestra,

joined by members of Sphinx Organization,

cellist Joe Kwon of the Avett Brothers

and conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson,

to perform the Pulitzer Prize- winning "Stride."

♪

♪

♪

♪

Still to come, a tribute to the incredible U2

featuring Academy Award winner Sean Penn and Borat.

The Kennedy Center Honors will continue.

This is CBS.

We were told we had to keep this brief.

Um, so we thought it would be

a very bad idea to have Bono to speak, so...

We are incredibly grateful and proud to receive this honor.

Named after a great American,

John F. Kennedy, who also happens to be of Irish descent.

♪

BEYONCE: "I was on the inside when they pulled the four walls down.

I was looking through the window."

"I was lost, I am found."

HARRY STYLES: "I can't believe the news today."

"Oh, I can't close my eyes and make it go away."

FINNEAS: "We thought that we had the answers.

It was the questions we had wrong."

"In the name of love."

♪

"What more in the name of love?"

FINNEAS: "I want to run, I want to hide,

"I want to tear down the walls

"that hold me inside.

"I want to reach out and touch the flame.

Where the streets have no name."

BILLIE EILISH: "I have climbed the highest mountains,

"I have run through the fields,

only to be with you."

FINNEAS: "Is there a time for keeping your distance?

"A time to turn your eyes away?

"Is there a time for keeping your head down,

for getting on with your day?"

"Touch me."

STYLES: "Take me to another place.

Teach me."

"I know I'm not a hopeless case."

BEYONCE: "The more you know, the less you feel.

"Some pray for, others steal.

Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel."

FINNEAS: "Fight back, don't take it lying down.

"We gotta bite back.

The face of liberty is starting to crack."

♪

♪

EILISH: "Love. And love is all we have left."

STYLES: "You argue because you can't accept."

FINNEAS: "Love is all we have left."

♪

BONO: Good night, God bless you.

Thanks for giving us a great life.

♪

ANNOUNCER: Actor, filmmaker,

and cofounder of the emergency relief organization CORE,

please welcome Sean Penn.

Joyce once observed, "The Irish,

"condemned to express themselves in a language not their own,

have stamped on it the mark of their own genius."

There are no artists who have carried on that legacy better,

nor stamped their own unique mark of genius

on the world of music and beyond,

than the members of U2.

And that's why tonight we're here to celebrate U2.

Great musical poets for the ages.

Once upon a time, a young Larry Mullen Jr.

pinned up a flyer at school.

"Drummer seeks musicians to form band."

Larry was joined after school for that first practice

by a young Adam Clayton,

a kid already anointed inexplicably as Bono...

...and another who would soon ditch his given name

for The Edge.

It was the beginning of a musically-charged

chemical reaction, something that would transform

the young men from schoolmates into colleagues,

bandmates into brothers,

and lead them to distill the human experience

into songs that would stand the test of time.

You can trace all of this to the band's prayer.

"To be useful." Useful to the music.

Useful to other human beings, to the world.

Bono has often said that being famous is nonsense,

celebrity is nonsense, but it is currency.

And the band has spent its currency

to show the usefulness of art in the world.

To help us honor them,

please welcome the extraordinary artist

and my great friend Eddie Vedder.

ANNOUNCER: Our U2 tribute continues

with Eddie Vedder and an all-star finale.

The Kennedy Center Honors. This is CBS.

For more than 40 years, U2 has changed the world.

Anthems about civil rights, solidarity of workers,

a struggle for peace.

Their music is a bridge between Ireland and America,

between two friends,

linked in memory and imagination.

I want to thank U2 for all you've done

and the way you lift people up, you really make a difference.

Thank you.

ANNOUNCER: Please welcome journalist and cultural attaché

from Kazakhstan, Borat Sagdiyev.

I very honored to be here with you.

I am told the president of US and A is here.

Where are you, Mr. Trump?

Oh. You don't look so good.

Where have your glorious big belly gone?

And your pretty orange skin have become pale.

Before I proceed, I must say I very upset about

the anti-Semitism in US and A.

It not fair.

Kazakhstan is number one Jew-crushing nation.

Stop stealing our hobby.

Your Kanye-- he try to move to Kazakhstan

and he even change his name to Kazakhstan-ye West.

But we said no.

He too anti-Semitic, even for us.

But reason I here is to make congratulation

to Irish rocking roll band by the name of Me Too.

I have a message for you from my premier.

It is hot off the fax.

It translate to mean, "Please remove your wretched album

from my new iPhone 6."

Your band fight oppression around the world.

Stop it!

Do not come to Kazakhstan with your goody-two-shoes meddling

or you will be placed on our new stretching machine.

And your bodies will move in mysterious ways.

This was another wordplay

for purpose of entertainment, yes?

Now, I will sing one of your Irish shanties.

I hope you enjoy my voice, Mr. President.

This song is about a difficult choice

facing our beautiful planet.

Everybody sing along.

What the problem? They loved this at Mar-a-Lago.

I use my fingers now.

♪

The Hedge, watch and learn.

: "Watch and learn."

♪

Thank you.

I love US and A!

I love U2!

ANNOUNCER: Please welcome back Sean Penn.

U2...

They are giants.

Arguably the most heart-penetrating band

on the planet for the last 40 years.

Their influence on music, on culture,

on the world, is incomparable.

A band forged in the violence of Ireland in the 1970s,

a time and place of devastating conflict and division.

As Bono once said, "Life is the creative act."

And these guys somehow just always understood

how you interact with the world and the art you put in it

are intimately entwined.

This isn't something they grew into once they became famous,

it's been embedded in their DNA from the very beginning,

from the opening drumroll of "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

to the iconic sets at concerts like Live Aid

or performing in support of the Good Friday Agreement.

And speaking out against violence

and inequality every chance they get.

They've always understood that art at its greatest

truly moves the dial, moves the dial toward

a care and uniquely human reflection

that rhythmically thrills us with possibility,

passion, prayer, and pulsing percussion.

It is so fitting at this time in human history

that America tonight bestows its highest creative honor

in the creative realm

upon these four scrappy Dublin punks.

The scrappiest band of musical poets

ever to come down the right-side drive pike

to remind America and the world of its best self.

The great Mary J. Blige was meant to perform this evening.

Unfortunately she had fallen ill and couldn't be here,

but the band's friend and mine Eddie Vedder

is gonna gift us once again. So please welcome Eddie Vedder.

♪

ANNOUNCER: Still to come,

a uniting musical finale honoring icons U2.

The Kennedy Center Honors will continue.

This is CBS.

ANNOUNCER: Reconnect with the arts, reconnect with travel.

Delta is proud to be the official airline

of the Kennedy Center Honors.

Delta. Keep climbing.

Please welcome Ukrainian singer-songwriter Jamala.

In their nearly 50 years together as a band,

U2 has used their music as a way to create change.

So it's fitting that on a night meant to honor them

they have once again used their platform

to spread message of peace.

Now, please welcome for a very special rendition

of U2's "Walk On," Brandi Carlile and Hozier.

♪

And love is not the easy thing.

The only baggage you can bring

is all that you can't leave behind.

♪

Congratulations to all the honorees,

and thank you to everyone who participated in this evening.

Good night.