Burt Bacharach and Hal David were recently feted around Washington for receiving the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. A tribute concert at the White House will be broadcast nationally tonight on PBS at 9 p.m. EDT (check local listings) as “Burt Bacharach & Hal David: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song In Performance at the White House.”
The concert will feature performances by major stars including Sheryl Crow, Michael Feinstein, Diana Krall, Mike Myers, Lyle Lovett, Rumer, Sheléa, Arturo Sandoval and Stevie Wonder.
In September, the Library announced that Bacharach and David would be the fourth recipients of the prize, which celebrates lifetime achievement in popular song. President Barack Obama presented the award to “the two kings of songwriting” at the White House during the performance.
Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said of the legendary duo, “”The timeless hits by Burt Bacharach and Hal David have helped launch the careers of many of our nation’s most celebrated performers, and they continue to be played on iPods, radio, television, in movies, and performed in cabarets and on the Broadway stage. Their creative talents have inspired songwriters for more than five decades, and their legacy is much in the tradition of George and Ira Gershwin, for whom this award is named.”
