Canadians Paul Anka, David Foster to receive Kennedy Center honours next month
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Canadians → receive → honours
Anka 'humbled' by latest honour, with ceremony to take place Dec. 7 at Washington's Capital One Arena
Canadians Paul Anka and David Foster are among the performers to receive this year's Kennedy Center honours, though the Dec. 7 ceremony will not be held at the historic Washington, D.C., venue as a result of the legal battles that have emerged in Donald Trump's second term as president.
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that → humble → president
"We are proud to honour this year's class and to continue a tradition that has defined the Center for nearly 50 years," Trump said in a statement.
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Trump → honour → statement
Born in Ottawa to Lebanese parents, he performed at local talent shows and on CBC productions like Pick the Stars and Cross-Canada Hit Parade before Diana hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts in 1957.
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Diana → bear → 1957
Anka also scored hits with songs like Lonely Boy and Put Your Head on My Shoulder, while also writing songs that became famous for others — It Doesn't Matter Anymore by Buddy Holly, Johnny's Theme for the Tonight Show hosted by Johnny Carson, and My Way, recorded by hundreds of artists, most famously by Frank Sinatra.
"After 70 years of doing what I love and being a part of the fabric of the American culture, I am humbled to receive this prestigious honour," Anka, who continues to perform around the world, said on social media on Monday.
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who → score → Monday
Victoria native Foster, who turned 77 on Sunday, spent a handful of years playing in bands around Canada before joining Skylark, the B.C.-based group that earned a Top 10 Billboard hit in 1973 with Wildflower.
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that → turn → Wildflower
After the band dissolved, Foster's stature as a studio musician and then producer grew.
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stature → dissolve → musician
He produced pop and adult contemporary hits over a span of decades for artists such as Earth, Wind and Fire, Chicago and Whitney Houston, whose Foster-produced version of Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You spent a then-record 14-week run atop the Billboard charts beginning in late 1992.
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I → produce → 1992
David Foster is seen with his wife Katharine McPhee Foster at the Breakthrough Prize ceremony on April 18 in Santa Monica, Calif.
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Foster → see → Monica
In addition, Foster helped produce some of the earliest hits outside of Canada for Céline Dion and Michael Bublé.
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Foster → produce → Dion
Anka helped arrange a U.S. green card for Foster in the 1970s and the pair have also occasionally collaborated on music.
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pair → arrange → music
Anka performed My Way to honour Foster at his Canada's Walk of Fame ceremony in 2002.
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Anka → perform → 2002
They've each been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and been appointed officer of the Order of Canada.
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They → induct → Canada
Both dual Canada-U.S. citizens, they'll join Joni Mitchell and Lorne Michaels as the only Canadians to receive Kennedy Center honours since they were first awarded in 1978.
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they → join → 1978
Court battles over venue name, building repairs
The Cuban-born Garcia, 70, appeared on various television and movie productions before a breakthrough on the big screen in 1987's The Untouchables.
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Garcia → bear → Untouchables
He earned an Oscar nomination for supporting actor for 1990's The Godfather Part III, portrayed the casino boss in Ocean's Eleven and two sequels, and has recently been in Taylor Sheridan's series Landman.
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He → earn → Landman
Chicago native Mamet, 78, is among the most acclaimed playwrights of his time, known for his hard-boiled dialogue in Glengarry Glen Ross and American Buffalo, which were later adapted for the big screen.
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which → know → screen
In addition to screenwriter credits that include The Verdict and The Untouchables, Mamet has directed the films House of Games, Oleanna and State and Main.
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Mamet → include → Games
He told Fox News last year that he was once a "brain-dead liberal."
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he → tell → News
Mandrell, 77, is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame whose many hits include Years and Sleeping Single in a Double Bed.
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hits → include → Bed
In addition to her solo work, she often performed with sisters Louise and Irlene, while also hosting a number of country music variety and award shows.
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she → perform → shows
The Kennedy Center honours were established in 1978 and have been given to a broad range of artists.
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honours → establish → artists
Until Trump's first term, presidents of both major political parties traditionally attended the annual ceremony, even when they disagreed with the politics of a given performer.
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they → attend → performer
Kennedy Center board votes to close after judge again blocks efforts to add Trump name to it
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judge → close → it
Artists cancel, protest as Trump dismisses Kennedy Center board
In his second term, Trump fired the institution's board of directors and replaced them with loyalists who named him chairman.
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who → cancel → him
A number of performers across music and performing arts genres subsequently cancelled events or associations with the Kennedy Center, protesting what they viewed as the venue's politicization.
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they → cancel → politicization
Trump personally announced last year's honorees — which included Sylvester Stallone and music acts KISS, Gloria Gaynor and George Strait — and hosted the show that honoured them.
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that → announce → them
The current U.S. president has insisted his name be added to the building in some form.
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name → insist → form
President Lyndon Johnson and Congress had established that the venue, whose origins date back to the 1950s, would be named for assassinated president John F. Kennedy.
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origins → establish → Kennedy
In addition to the manouevres concerning t1he name, legal battles have played out over repairs needed for the Potomac River waterfront building.
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battles → concern → building
The Kennedy Center has closed, with its stages absent of performances for months.
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stages → close → months
This year's honours program will be held on Dec. 7 at Washington's Capital One Arena, home to the NHL's Capitals and NBA's Wizards.
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program → hold → Capitals
The Aporia
