Cher admits she wanted Kennedy honor from Obama
The phone call telling Cher she was a Kennedy Center honoree was certainly welcome — but she admits she wanted to get it earlier.
The Grammy, Emmy and Oscar winner, whose ABBA-tribute album “Dancing Queen” was just released, acknowledged she’d long hoped for that call. She said she “wanted to get it so badly” during the Obama administration.
Now she will, at age 72, during the Donald Trump administration, which might make for an awkward gathering. A regular at anti-Trump rallies and marches, Cher ranks among the most outspoken celebrities against the U.S. president. The White House said no decisions had been made on whether Trump would participate in this year’s Kennedy Center Honors program.
The Kennedy Center prize is given to those in the performing arts for lifetime contributions to American culture. This year’s other recipients are composer and pianist Philip Glass, country music entertainer Reba McEntire, and jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter. The co-creators of the Tony-winning musical “Hamilton” will receive a special award as trailblazing creators of a transformative work that defies category.
It’s a busy period for Cher, whose latest world tour began Sept. 21 and runs through May, ending in Minneapolis. She’s co-producer of a jukebox musical about her life, “The Cher Show,” with previews set to begin Nov. 1 on Broadway. And the Kennedy Center Honors will be taped Dec. 2 in Washington, D.C.