Andrew is honoured at the Kennedy Center

On 3rd December 2006, some of the biggest names in American entertainment and politics paid tribute to Andrew at the 29th annual Kennedy Center Honors, which recognise artists for their extraordinary lifetime contributions to American culture.

Andrew received the highly coveted Honor alongside conductor Zubin Mehta, country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson and film director Steven Spielberg.

The Honorees were received by the then-President of the United States of America George Bush at the White House, before attending a gala performance at the Kennedy Center Opera House.

Among the artists on stage for the gala were Betty Buckley – who won a Tony Award for her performance as Grizabella in “[_Cats_]”:/shows/cats – and Sarah Brightman, who together performed one of Andrew’s most instantly recognisable songs, “Memory”. Broadway actress Christine Ebersole sang “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from “[_Sunset Boulevard_]”:/shows/sunset-boulevard/, while Elena Roger, the Argentine actress who wowed audiences with her showstopping performance in the 2006 West End revival of “[_Evita_]”:/shows/evita made her U.S. stage debut.

The Honorees were joined in Washington D.C. by some of Hollywood’s biggest names including actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon, Joan Collins, George Lucas and Liam Neeson.

The 2006 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony was later broadcast in the United States on the CBS network, December 26, 2006.