Dionne Warwick and Queen Latifah To Receive Prestigious Kennedy Center Honors

Written By Mike Greenblatt
dionne warwick queen latifah

New Jersey will be well represented this year at the most prestigious award show of them all, the 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors held at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC on December 3, and televised before the end of the year. Dionne Warwick from East Orange and Queen Latifah from Newark join fellow honorees Billy Crystal, Barry Gibb and Renee Fleming.

Queen Latifah—real name: Dana Elaine Owens—born in Newark 53 years ago, put out a statement that said she was “humbled,” adding “when we started on this journey decades ago, we were often told, `no no you won’t be able to leave New Jersey. No, if you rap you can’t sing. No singers can become actors. Actors cannot produce.’ So to now be recognized amongst so many muti-hyphenates feels unbelievable, not for just me and my team, but our community.” Dionne Warwick was born Marie Warwick 82 years ago in East Orange. Answering the questions of reporters about the honor, she bluntly said, “it’s about time. I’ve earned it.”

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Mike Greenblatt

MIKE GREENBLATT has been writing for Goldmine magazine and New Jersey's Aquarian Weekly for more than 35 years. His writing subjects fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He's interviewed Joe Cocker, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was 18 when he attended Woodstock in 1969.

In addition to writing about music, Greenblatt has worked on publicity campaigns for The Animals, Pat Benatar, Johnny Winter, Tommy James and Richard Branson, among others. He is currently the editor of The Jersey Sound.

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