Bruce Springsteen and Diana Ross were among the 21 people named today to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Medal of Freedom is the highest honor that can be given to a civilian and is reserved for those “individuals 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.”
President Barack Obama said “The Presidential Medal of Freedom is not just our nation’s highest civilian honor – it’s a tribute to the idea that all of us, no matter where we come from, have the opportunity to change this country for the better. From scientists, philanthropists, and public servants to activists, athletes, and artists, these 21 individuals have helped push America forward, inspiring millions of people around the world along the way.”
The press release from the White House had the following to say about each of the music honorees:
Diana Ross
Diana Ross has had an iconic career spanning more than 50 years within the entertainment industry in music, film, television, theater, and fashion. Diana Ross is an Academy Award nominee, inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and recipient of the Grammy Awards highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award. Ross was a recipient of the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors. Diana Ross’s greatest legacy is her five wonderful children.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen is a singer, songwriter, and bandleader. More than five decades ago, he bought a guitar and learned how to make it talk. Since then, the stories he has told, in lyrics and epic live concert performances, have helped shape American music and have challenged us to realize the American dream. Springsteen is a Kennedy Center honoree and he and the E Street Band he leads have each been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Neither have a released a statement, at the time of this writing, in reaction to the honor.
Others who will receive the honor when they are presented at the White House on November 22:
Kareem Abdul-Jabar – Basketball legend
Elouise Cobell – Blackfeet tribal council, advocate for Native Americans
Ellen DeGeneres – Comedian, talk show host
Robert DeNiro – Actor
Richard Garwin – Physicist
Bill and Melinda Gates – Microsoft, philanthropists
Frank Gehry – Architect
Margaret H. Hamilton – Mathematician, computer scientist
Tom Hanks – Actor
Grace Hopper – Computer scientist
Michael Jordan – Basketball legend
Maya Lin – Artist and designer
Lorne Michaels – Producer and screenwriter
Newt Minow – Lawyer, FCC Chairman
Eduardo Padron – President Miami Dade College, educator
Robert Redford – Actor, director
Vin Scully – Sportscaster
Cicely Tyson – Actress
