Taped at the Warner Theatre in Washington, DC, on May 23, 2007, the high-definition special features tributes from a star-studded line-up of performers and presenters, including Yolanda Adams, Marc Anthony, Dixie Hummingbirds, Jerry Douglas, Art Garfunkel, Alison Krauss, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Lyle Lovett, Stephen Marley, James Taylor and Buckwheat Zydeco. Presenters include former poet laureate Billy Collins, Bob Costas and Lorne Michaels.
Upon being notified of receiving the honor, Simon said, "I am grateful to be the recipient of the Gershwin Prize and doubly honored to be the first. Spending an evening in the company of artists I admire is a songwriter's dream come true."
During his distinguished career, Paul Simon has received many awards and prizes, including 12 Grammy Awards, three for album of the year; the 1986 winner Graceland was recently selected as part of the Library's National Recording Registry. Simon also is a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as half of the Simon and Garfunkel duo and again in 2001 as a solo artist. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a 2002 Kennedy Center Honoree. In 2006, Time magazine named Paul Simon one of the "100 People Who Shaped the World." Simon was the first American artist invited by President Nelson Mandela to perform in post-apartheid South Africa.
The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song is named in honor of the legendary George and Ira Gershwin. This newly created award recognizes the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world's culture. The prize will be given annually to a composer or performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins.
Watch it tonight, Sunday, March 8th 6:30 p.m. KUAT6 & HD.
Call 621-1600 or toll-free, 1-800-223-7192, or make your pledge online, and thank you in advance for your support!
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.