    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [December 7, 1997]
    [Pages 1725-1727]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Kennedy Center Honors Reception
    December 7, 1997

        Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, tonight the stars shine
    over the White House. Tonight we honor artists who in all seasons have
    lit up generations of our national life.
        Ezra Pound once said that artists are the antennae of society,
    always probing, sensing, guiding us through the terrain of the human
    mind and spirit. I'm proud to salute five artists whose

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    sensitivity, vision, and talent have challenged our minds and made our
    spirits soar.
        Especially since Edward Villella danced here in the East Room at the
    invitation of President and Mrs. Kennedy, the performing arts have
    increasingly found a home in this, the Nation's house. But the belief
    that arts are vital to our democracy goes back to our very beginnings,
    to the first President to live in the White House, John Adams, who
    envisioned an America that would study not just politics but painting,
    poetry, and music.
        The ultimate worth of our Nation will never be measured fully by the
    size of our treasury or the might of our military but instead in the
    endurance of our gifts to the human spirit. Already, our films, our
    music, our plays, our dance have inspired performers and captured
    audiences around the globe. Worldwide, they've spurred not only the
    forces of creativity but also, and especially recently, the cause of
    freedom. The arts are now, to borrow a phrase from one of our honorees,
    perhaps the strongest currents blowing in the wind.
        Tonight we pay tribute to five men and women who have spent their
    lives listening to their hearts and lifting ours, whose work and talent
    make them American originals.
        It all began with the look--[laughter]--and I can still hardly stand
    it--[laughter]--a downward cast of the chin, a shy, yet sly upward
    glance of the eye. The look captured Bogey and made Lauren Bacall a
    legend. After seeing her for the first time in ``To Have and Have Not,''
    all America recognized that Lauren Bacall had it. The great James Agee
    wrote, ``She has cinema personality to burn, something completely new to
    the screen.''
        Bogey and Bacall gave us a series of classic films: ``The Big
    Sleep,'' ``Dark Passage,'' ``Key Largo.'' Then she showed us ``How To
    Marry a Millionaire'' and established herself as a master of stylish
    comedy. She conquered Broadway in ``Cactus Flower,'' was discovered all
    over again as a musical star in ``Applause,'' and won a second Tony
    Award for ``Woman of the Year.'' Just last year, more than half a
    century after her first film, she won rave reviews and an Oscar
    nomination for ``The Mirror Has Two Faces.'' I'm grateful that she took
    time out from being a legend to campaign a little for me last year, too.
    [Laughter] Tonight, on behalf of all Americans, I salute you, Lauren
    Bacall, as our woman of the year and an actress for all time.
        As a young boy growing up in Minnesota, Bob Dylan spent a lot of
    time in his room writing poems. Then at the age of 14 he bought a
    guitar. With it, he would set his poems to music, striking the chords of
    American history and infusing American popular music, from rock-and-roll
    to country, with new depth and emotion. With searing lyrics and
    unpredictable beats, he captured the mood of a generation. Everything he
    saw--the pain, the promise, the yearning, the injustice--turned to song.
    He probably had more impact on the people of my generation than any
    other creative artist.
        His voice and lyrics haven't always been easy on the ear, but
    throughout his career Bob Dylan has never aimed to please. He's
    disturbed the peace and discomforted the powerful. President Kennedy
    could easily have been talking about Bob Dylan when he said that ``If
    sometimes our great artists have been most critical of our society, it
    is because their concern for justice makes them aware that our Nation
    falls short of its highest potential.'' ``Like a Rolling Stone,'' Bob
    Dylan has kept moving forward, musically and spiritually, challenging
    all of us to move forward with him. Thank you, Bob Dylan, for a lifetime
    of stirring the conscience of our Nation.
        I think our next honoree would want me to acknowledge that I can't
    thank him for campaigning for me. [Laughter] Now, with that disclaimer--
    [laughter]--I do have a lot to thank him for. For when I was a young boy
    in Arkansas and movies were my main source of inspiration, Charlton
    Heston showed me how to part the Red Sea, drive a Roman chariot, save
    medieval Spain--even after he was slain--[laughter]--and hold off a
    siege for ``55 Days at Peking.'' In more than 75 films, Charlton Heston
    has guided millions of movie lovers through nearly every great era of
    Western civilization, bringing to life a host of heroes, from Moses to
    Michelangelo to Buffalo Bill. He's even played Democrats. [Laughter] But
    he was, to be fair, selective; they were Thomas Jefferson and Andrew
    Jackson. [Laughter]
        If the big screen didn't exist, they would have had to invent it for
    Charlton Heston. A film hero for and of the ages, he's won an Oscar from
    the Academy, accolades from his peers, admiration from his audiences.
    But most of all, the characters he created, the courage and integrity
    and commitment they embody, remind all of us of the limitless
    possibility of the human

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    spirit. He has been and always will be larger than life.
        The first song she ever performed in public was ``God Will Take Care
    of You.'' Well, God was taking care of all us when he gave us Jessye
    Norman's wondrous voice. From a church choir in Georgia to center stage
    at the Met, Jessye Norman has brought joy to music lovers and critics to
    their feet. Her voice has been called the greatest instrument in the
    world. Her greatness, however, lies not just in her sound but in her
    soul. She has that rare gift for capturing in musical truths of the
    human experience, truths that can never be fully expressed in words
    alone. Having brought new meaning to Mozart and Wagner, Berlioz and
    Stravinsky, Jessye Norman remains an American diva. Indeed, when she
    sang ``The Star-Spangled Banner'' at my Inauguration earlier this year,
    I thought the flag was buoyed by the waves of her voice. I must say,
    Jessye, you were a tough act to follow. [Laughter]
        After 40 albums, Grammy Awards, and the standing ovation of the
    entire world, she stands at the pinnacle of her art. Jessye Norman once
    said she wasn't the kind of woman to walk into a room unnoticed.
    [Laughter] And I can testify that that is true, having been in many
    rooms with her and never failing to notice. Since she first burst on the
    scene, her brilliance has held our attention, year-in and year-out. May
    the supernova of Jessye Norman shine forever.
        As a young man, Edward Villella was a varsity baseball player and a
    welterweight boxing champion. He might have made the big leagues, but
    his heart led him into a different world. He was a major league dancer
    from the moment he joined the New York City Ballet. As graceful as he
    was athletic, he mesmerized audiences and choreographers alike.
    Balanchine and Robbins created dances that only Villella could dance.
    The art rose to meet the man, and the man was always flying. He
    dominated the stage with space-swallowing charisma and leaps as
    effortless as they were breathtaking. He toured the Soviet Union at the
    height of the cold war and became the only American dancer ever to be
    demanded to give an encore. Today he brings the same energy and
    creativity to the shaping of the Miami City Ballet into America's next
    great dance company.
        Long before Michael Jordan, Edward Villella showed us that man
    indeed could fly. [Laughter] Thank you for taking American dance to new
    heights.
        Lauren Bacall, Bob Dylan, Charlton Heston, Jessye Norman, Edward
    Villella: artists and Americans who have made indelible imprints on the
    performing arts and on our national character. It is quite a tribute to
    them that all of you have come for them tonight. In them we find the
    sass, the raw emotion, the heroic strength, the passionate voice, the
    soaring aspirations of our Nation.
        America salutes each and every one of you. Thank you, and God bless
    you.

    Note: The President spoke at 5:40 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to choreographers Jerome Robbins and
    the late George Balanchine; and NBA basketball player Michael Jordan.