WASHINGTON — An actor hailed as America's "favorite son" and a musical genius who rose from a British shipyard town to make his mark won this nation's highest honors Sunday for influencing American culture through the arts.
Tom Hanks and Sting joined Lily Tomlin, singer Al Green and ballerina Patricia McBride in being awarded this year's Kennedy Center Honors. Top performers and power players from Hollywood, Broadway and Washington gathered to salute them in a gala performance. The show hosted by Stephen Colbert will be broadcast Dec. 30 on CBS.
David Letterman led a series of tributes for Hanks, reciting some of the actor's unforgettable lines from his movies.
"Momma always said life is like a box of chocolates."
"There's no crying in baseball!"
"Houston, we have a problem."
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who collaborated with Hanks on many projects, said "America's favorite son" has opened a window on the nation with movies that include "Philadelphia," ''A League of Their Own," ''Forrest Gump," ''Apollo 13" and "Saving Private Ryan."
"Tom loves his country," Spielberg said.
Filmmaker George Stevens Jr., who created the Kennedy Center Honors but said this would be his last time producing the show, said Hanks stands apart as "one of the great actors of his generation or any generation."
Actor and comedian Martin Short led a musical tribute for Hanks, singing "you're our Yankee Doodle dandy," joined by military choirs and musicians.
Before the show, Hanks, 58, joked that a mistake must have been made in the choice for a fifth honoree.
"This is the work I started in 1981, so it all works out OK," he said.
Sting broke out in 1978 with his band The Police with such hits as "Roxanne" and later "Every Breath You Take" before starting his solo career. He has been performing for four decades and has won 16 Grammy Awards.
Many young musicians admire his work and came to sing his tunes in his honor.
Lady Gaga sang "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," Esperanza Spalding sang "Fragile" and Bruno Mars sang a medley of "So Lonely," ''Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle."
Bruce Springsteen also sang a tribute to his friend and made a toast at a State Department dinner Saturday, saying the breadth and depth of Sting's talents are intimidating as he crosses from folk music to jazz, classical, pop, rock and reggae.
"Sting makes me feel like a musical Neanderthal. When we get together, we always have the same argument. He insists that there are more than three chords, while I insist that there are not," Springsteen said, drawing laughs. "In an age of musical homogenization, no one has ever sounded or sang like my friend."
On Tuesday, Sting will shift to Broadway, joining the cast of "The Last Ship" in his musical about his hometown.
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