Joe Biden held his final Kennedy Center Honors last night, paying tribute to the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, and Francis Ford Coppola, among others. A reception took place at the White House on Sunday and saw Biden celebrating the Dead’s career.
“In the San Francisco Bay at an inflection point in history, the Grateful Dead have long since transcended 1960s counterculture,” Biden said in a speech. “Technical virtuosos fiercely dedicated to their craft, they fused decades and dozens of musical styles to create a whole new American sound. Experimental, innovative and brave.”
He continued, “Their lyrics tell the story of dreamers and rebels, by iconic jams or just a performance, they’re not just that they’re an ongoing conversation with generations of ‘Doo-Dah’ fans with hundreds and hundreds of songs. Record of 59 top 40 albums, 59. 23,000 concerts from Woodstock to Egypt’s great pyramids. One of the most popular bands ever to be watched live in concert.”
The president added, “Look, there’s still a lot of Deadheads around,” pointing at himself. “No two performances even the same, but their spirit and joy is enduring,” he said. “Tonight we honor Bobby, Bill and Mickey.”
Band members Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, and Bob Weir attended the event, while bassist Phil Lesh, who died in October at age 84, was represented by his son Grahame and frontman Jerry Garcia, who died in 1995, was represented by his daughter Trixie.
During the reception, Biden paid tribute to Raitt, noting she got her first guitar for Christmas. “Thank you Santa,” he quipped. He also honored Coppola and jazz musician Arturo Sandoval, as well as New York City institution the Apollo.
The artists were then honored at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts during the official Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, which will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 23. The event featured a tribute to the Grateful Dead by Dave Matthews, Maggie Rogers, Leon Bridges, and more, performing songs like “Friend of the Devil,” “Ripple,” “Sugaree,” and “Not Fade Away.”
Matthews and Emmylou Harris took on Raitt’s classic “Angel from Montgomery” and Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow performed “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Robert DeNiro, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Al Pacino, and Laurence Fishburne were there to honor Coppola, while Andy Garcia and Debbie Allen feted Sandoval.
