VIDEO: Stephen Sondheim, Gloria & Emilio Estefan Receive 2015 Medal of Freedom
By: Caryn Robbins Nov. 25, 2015
Legendary composer Stephen Sondheim and Gloria and Emilio Estefan were among the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award recipients at the White House yesterday. The award is the Nation's highest civilian honor, presented to 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.
When awarding the medal to the Estefans, President Obama commented:
On a Miami night in 1975, a young woman named Gloria walked into a wedding reception and saw a handsome young man named Emilio leading his band. He was playing "Do the Hustle" -- on an accordion. (Laughter.) I'm quoting her now -- she said she found this "sexy and brave." (Laughter.) I mean, the brave part I understand. (Laughter.) But it turns out he had a few other things up his sleeve. He brought her up to sing a few songs that night, invited her to join his band. A few months later, Emilio asked Gloria for a birthday kiss. It was not her birthday -- it wasn't his birthday. But he got the kiss anyway. And Emilio and Gloria Estefan have been partners -- on and off-stage -- ever since.
Click here to watch the Estefans receive their honor at the 29:25 mark.
When awarding the medal to Stephen Sondheim, President Obama commented:
"As a composer and a lyricist, and a genre unto himself, Sondheim challenges his audiences. His greatest hits aren't tunes you can hum; they're reflections on roads we didn't take, and wishes gone wrong, relationships so frayed and fractured there's nothing left to do but send in the clowns. Yet Stephen's music is so beautiful, his lyrics so precise, that even as he exposes the imperfections of everyday life, he transcends them. We transcend them. Put simply, Stephen reinvented the American musical. He's loomed large over more than six decades in the theater. And with revivals from Broadway to the big screen, he is still here, pulling us up short, and giving us support for "being alive."
Click here to watch Stephen Sondheim receive his honor at the 39:30 mark
Emilio Estefan is a passionate and visionary music producer, entrepreneur, author, and songwriter who has won nineteen Grammy Awards and influenced a generation of artists. As the founding member of the Miami Sound Machine, and later through a decades-long career producing and shaping the work of countless stars, Estefan has helped popularize Latin music around the world. He has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Emilio Estefan is an inductee to the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Gloria Estefan is a singer, songwriter, actor, and entrepreneur who introduced Latin music to a global audience. The Cuban-American lead singer of the Miami Sound Machine has had chart topping hits such as "Conga," "Rhythm is Gonna Get You," and "Anything for You." Estefan has won seven Grammy Awards and is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide. She is an inductee to the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Estefan became one of the first mainstream Hispanic artists to crossover between English and Spanish language music paving the way for countless other Latin artists to follow. The Estefan's new musical ON YOUR FEET is now playing on Broadway.
Stephan Sondheim is one of the country's most influential theater composers and lyricists. His work has helped define American theater with shows such as Company, West Side Story, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods. Sondheim has received eight Grammy Awards, eight Tony Awards, an Academy Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Sondheim also founded Young Playwrights, Inc., to develop and promote the work of American playwrights aged 18 and younger.
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