East Orange natives Queen Latifah and Dionne Warwick to receive Kennedy Center Honor

New Jersey natives Queen Latifah and Dionne Warwick are among the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors inductees.

Kennedy Center honors greatness

The Kennedy Center Honors commemorates honorees lifetime achievement in arts and entertainment.

Actor Billy Crystal, Opera singer Renée Fleming, and music star Barry Gibb are also are being honored at the star studded event. Each will receive personalized tributes that typically include appearances and performances that are kept secret from the honorees themselves.

When announcing the recipients earlier this year, the Kennedy Center’s president, Deborah F. Rutter, called this year’s group of inductees “an extraordinary mix of individuals who have redefined their art forms.”

About Queen Latifah

East Orange Native Queen Latifah, 53, has been a star since she made her debut as a rapper at 19, releasing the album “Ladies First”.

Real name Dana Owens, she has released seven studio albums to date and succesfully crossed over in film and television as a revered actress.

About Dionne Warwick

Dionne Warwick also of East Orange rose to fame in the 1960s as the voice for the songwriting team Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Her discography includes decades of hits, that includes “I Say a Little Prayer,” “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” and “That’s What Friends Are For.”