Kellie Pickler Named 'Dancing With the Stars' Champion
Beyonce Releases New Anthem, 'Grown Woman'
J. Cole Performs 'Born Sinner' on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,' Reveals Competitive Spirit Against Kanye West
Taylor Swift Dominates at 2013 Billboard Music Awards
Blake Shelton Joins NBC in Organizing Oklahoma Tornado Benefit Concert
Killed Soldier In London Attack Identified
Blake Shelton Will Return for Season 5 of 'The Voice'
Brave Woman Stood Down Armed London Attackers
Toby Keith Says His Hometown of Moore, Oklahoma 'Will Perservere' After Deadly Tornado
Surgeon's Remove Giant Hairball From Tiger
Toby Keith Returns to Help Family, Friends in Moore, Oklahoma
LOOK: Bank Vault Saves 22 Lives During Tornado
Carrie Underwood 'Goats' Hunter Hayes With Blown Away Tour Prank
Helen Flanagan Launches PETA Campaign As Only She Knows How
Carrie Underwood Says She's 'Queen of Awkward' in Marie Claire Interview
Demi Looks FANTASTIC In A Bikini
Jodi Arias Jury DEADLOCKED
New Trayvon Martin Evidence Features Incriminating Photos, Texts From Teen
PHOTO: Dog Guards Dead Victim's Body After Oklahoma Tornado Disaster
LOOK: Photoshop Mistake Is Seriously Cringeworthy
What It's Like To Talk To A 2-Year-Old
Teenager's 'Awww'-Inspiring Drawing Wins Big At Google
Singer Sues McDonald's, Claims Chicken Sandwich Incident Ruined Her Voice
'DWTS' Shakeup Ahead?
Woolwich Attack Victim Named As Lee Rigby
Pope Francis Says All Who Do Good Are Redeemed - Atheists Included
REVEALED: Disturbing Trend In Human Intelligence
Has Katie Holmes Moved On?
Wolf Blitzer's Embarrassing Moment With Tornado Survivor
Man Reportedly Beheaded In Brutal Assault In London Neighborhood
White Father Allegedly Suspected Of Kidnapping Biracial Daughters
PHOTOS: Christie Brinkley Gets Back Into A Swimsuit At 59 Years Old
The World's Most Powerful Women
Vanguard
The medallions will be officially presented by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a private State Department dinner on Dec. 4. An all-star tribute performance for the 2010 honorees will be taped the following night, Dec. 5, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 28.
Honorees are not asked to perform at the gala event. All that is required of them is to sit back in their lofty box seats, relax and join the audience in enjoying the star-studded show presented in their honor.
"We don't put much of a burden on them," says the creator and producer of the event, George Stevens Jr. "You don't sing for your supper. They are not asked to speak or perform. They simply receive the tribute of their colleagues and peers, which really makes it very different for them, and is part of what makes it so special."
While acknowledging that it will be an honor to hear others singing his music that night, Merle -- known as 'the poet of the common man' -- couldn't resist but quip in his signature, plainspoken way, "I don't know exactly what to do ... I guess just sit there and look like you're having fun,"
The two-hour gala event will be attended by President Barack Obama and the First Lady, who will also host the State Department dinner at the White House the night before.
The legendary story of Merle's rise from juvenile delinquency (including time spent in San Quentin Prison) through his success as one of American music's most respected, influential and beloved singer/songwriters of all time, was captured in the PBS American Masters documentary special, Merle Haggard: Learning to Live with Myself, which aired in July 2010.
1 Comment