Names and faces

— David Letterman’s “stupid human tricks” and Top 10 lists are being vaulted into the ranks of cultural acclaim as the late-night comedian receives this year’s Kennedy Center Honors with rock band Led Zeppelin and three other artists. Stars from New York, Hollywood and the music world gathered Sunday in Washington to salute the comedian and the band, along with Dustin Hoffman, Chicago bluesman Buddy Guy and ballerina Natalia Makarova. The honors are the nation’s highest award for those who influenced American culture through the arts. President Barack Obama hosted the honorees at the White House before they were saluted by fellow performers in a show to be broadcast Dec. 26 on CBS. Meryl Streep introduced the honorees Saturday during a dinner at the U.S. State Department and noted Letterman had surpassed his mentor, Johnny Carson, in sustaining the longest late-night television career - more than30 years. Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel joined in celebrating his influence on many other comedians. “I knew Johnny, and I loved Johnny. Johnny was beyond reproach,” Colbert said in a toast to Letterman. “Dave was stupid. Dave was ours. Dave was like us.” Paul Shaffer, Letterman’s longtime band leader, said he knew his boss was uncomfortable hearing such accolades, but that he was also enjoying every second of it. Big names from the rock world dressed in black tie for the occasion to honor their heroes in Led Zeppelin as a string ensemble played “Kashmir” and other tunes at the State Department. Zeppelin front man Robert Plant said he was flattered and overwhelmed in receiving the American culture prize. He said he was glad to see his former band mates, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page, using good table manners.

Elmore James, known as the “king of the slide guitar,” will be honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail during a ceremony in Ebenezer, Miss., today. James’ electric style built on the music of Robert Johnson and later influenced many blues and rock guitarists. James built his style on Johnson’s boogie bass runs and slide guitar methods. James learned about electronically amplifying his guitar while working at his adopted brother Robert Holston’s radio repair shop in Canton. He played on radio shows in Mississippi and Arkansas. He made his debut recording in 1951. James, who died in 1963, was best known for the national R&B hit “Dust My Broom.”

Front Section, Pages 2 on 12/03/2012

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