On Monday (3.20), the White House announced that Bruce Springsteen, Gladys Knight, and José Feliciano will receive the 2021 National Medal of Arts from President Joe Biden today. The event will mark The Boss’ second visit to the White House after being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama back in 2016.
In addition to the aforementioned musicians, actors Mindy Kaling and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, fashion mogul Vera Wang, artists Judith Francisca Baca and Antonio Martorell-Cardona, philanthropist Fred Eychaner, and film producer Joan Shigekawa will receive the coveted award. Two institutions – the Billie Holiday Theater and the International Association of Blacks in Dance – will also receive the medal.
First Lady Jill Biden is set to join the president during the event that follows last September’s special moment when the president surprised Elton John with the National Humanities Medal during an appearance at the White House in 2022.
At the time, the White House stated “The President of the United States awards this National Humanities Medal to Sir Elton John for moving our souls with his powerful voice, one of the defining songbooks of all time.” “An enduring icon and advocate with absolute courage, who found purpose to challenge convention, shatter stigma and advance a simple truth: that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.”
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: DJ Buck