Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesBruce Springsteen and former Supremes singer Diana Ross were among the 21 notable Americans who were presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian award — today at a ceremony hosted by President Barack Obama at the White House.
During his speech leading up to Springsteen’s medal presentation, President Obama quipped about the rock legend, “I am the president. He is the Boss.” He also praised Bruce’s insightful songwriting, noting that “for decades [he] has brought us all along on a journey consumed with the bargains between ambition and injustice, and pleasure and pain — the simple glories and scattered heartbreak of everyday life in America.”
In paying tribute to Ross, President Obama pointed out that “[a]long with her honey voice, her soulful sensibility, Diana exuded glamor and grace and filled stages that helped to shape the sound of Motown.” He added, “Today, from the hip-hop that samples her to the young singers who’ve been inspired by her to the audiences that still cannot get enough of her, Diana Ross’s influence is inescapable as ever.”
Among the other 2016 recipients of the Medal of Freedom were Robert DeNiro, Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert Redford, Cicely Tyson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Saturday Night Live creator and producer Lorne Michaels.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to people who have “made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
You can watch the full Medal of Honor ceremony now at the White House’s official YouTube channel.
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