On Sunday night, December 8, President Joe Biden presided over a momentous event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. This occasion was a grand tribute to the rich history of art and culture, with the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Francis Ford Coppola, and others being honored for their profound impact on the evolution of creative expression through various mediums such as music and film.

Honoring the Grateful Dead

Members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart represented the Grateful Dead. Grahame Lesh was in attendance on behalf of his father, Phil Lesh, who passed away in October at the age of 84. Trixie, the daughter of the late Jerry Garcia, was also present. Before the formal ceremony, which featured live performances paying homage to the honorees and the Grateful Dead, Biden spoke about the band's brazen influence in the East Room of the White House."At an inflection point in history in the San Francisco Bay, the Grateful Dead have transcended 1960s counterculture," Biden said. "These technical virtuosos, fiercely dedicated to their craft, fused decades and dozens of musical styles to create a whole new American sound. Experimental, innovative, and brave. Their lyrics tell the story of dreamers and rebels. Through iconic jams or just a performance, they engage in an ongoing conversation with generations of 'Doo-Dah' fans with hundreds and hundreds of songs. They have had 23,000 concerts, from Woodstock to Egypt's great pyramids. Truly one of the most popular bands ever to be watched live in concert."The specialty house bands created for this event supported the musical aspect. Don Was, Terence Higgins, Kendrick Scott, Rick Mitarotonda, Sturgill Simpson, Jeff Chimenti, and Grahame Lesh took on the stewardship of the Grateful Dead's songs. During the Dead's musical appreciation segment, Maggie Rogers and Leon Bridges provided assistance. They transformed "Friend of the Devil" from its traditional folky roots to a ballad, with Rogers' soulful voice and Bridges' smooth delivery. Then, Simpson stepped forward to lead "Ripple." Grahame paid homage to his dad by guiding select lyrics, and Garcia added his song-filled salutation through video.From one fan favorite to the next, the house band welcomed the help of jam-world greats Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, and Dave Matthews for the ensuing song, "Sugaree."During Latifah's introduction, she mentioned the Grateful Dead's longstanding tradition of closing their live performances with "Not Fade Away." The house band, along with Tedeschi, Trucks, and Matthews, were joined by dancing Miles Teller and Chloë Sevigny to pay a proper salute to the band's infectious music and free-spirited ethos.David Letterman also made an appearance, playing into the stoned hippie role and sharing the iconic comedic clip of him teaching Garcia to play "Proud Mary" circa 1982.

Honoring Bonnie Raitt

The night also gave a similar treatment to Raitt's music. A different house band was formed, with Dave Matthews and Emmy Lou Harris performing "Angels from Montgomery," Keb' Mo' and Tedeschi playing "Walking Blues," and Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow sharing duties on "I Can't Make You Love Me." Before James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Aronard McCuller, and Crow played "Nick of Time."

Honoring Jazz Trumpet Virtuoso Arturo Sandoval

Jazz trumpet virtuoso Arturo Sandoval was one of the night's recipients. For his tribute, artists like Trombone Shorty, Cimafunk, and Chris Bode leaned into funk, jazz, and Afro-Cuban styles, playing alongside flamenco dancing to truly celebrate the range of his craft.After the event, Kreutzmann marked the occasion on Instagram, sharing a photo and writing, "Setbreaks are weird. Glad I snuck in my vape. But what an incredible night so far…truly special."The 47th Annual Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcast on CBS on Sunday, December 22, 2024, at 8:30 p.m. ET and streamed on Paramount Plus.