Joe Walsh, Berry Gordy Among Stars Honoring Smokey Robinson at Gershwin Prize Concert This Month

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Courtesy of Smokey RobinsonA variety of respected music artists will gather in Washington, D.C., on November 16 to help salute Smokey Robinson, who will be presented with the 2016 edition of the Library of Congress’ prestigious Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The ceremony, which will be held at DAR Constitution Hall, will feature performances or appearances by Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, Motown founder Berry Gordy, BeBe Winans, CeeLo Green, Esperanza Spalding, Aloe Blacc, Ledisi, Corinne Bailey Rae, The Tenors and others.

Robinson also will give a special performance at the event, which will be hosted by Samuel L. Jackson. The tribute concert will air as a PBS special that’s scheduled to premiere on Friday, February 10, 2017, at 9 p.m. ET. The program also will air at a later date on American Forces Network, which is broadcast to U.S. Department of Defense locations across the globe.

The Gershwin Prize is awarded to a living musician “whose lifetime contributions in the field of popular song exemplify the standard of excellence associated with George and Ira Gershwin,” the pianist/composer and lyricist brothers who together wrote some of pop music’s most enduring standards.

“The Gershwin brothers were two of the greatest songwriters ever, and for me to be in the same breath with George and Ira Gershwin, that’s unbelievable to me,” says Smokey about being chosen to receive the prize. “My wildest, most impossible songwriter dream would not have said that that’s gonna happen…I’m totally honored.”

Previous honorees include Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, the songwriting duo of Burt Bacharach and the late Hal David, Carole King, Billy Joel and Willie Nelson, who received last year’s Gershwin Prize.

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