The 2002 Kennedy Center Honors Gala was a big night with some ups and downs. It celebrated five amazing people: Elizabeth Taylor, James Earl Jones, Chita Rivera (a star of dancing and singing from shows like West Side Story and Chicago), conductor James Levine, and Paul Simon. Different people who watched the event had their own favorite parts, but most agreed that two moments stood out: Steve Martin’s funny speech about Paul Simon and a beautiful performance of Simon’s song “The Boxer” by James Taylor and Alison Krauss.
The Kennedy Center Honors always follows the same plan: someone gives a speech about the person being honored, then there’s a short video about their life, and finally, other singers or performers do a tribute song. Everyone stands up and claps twice for the honoree—once at the start and once at the end. James Taylor and Alison Krauss sang “The Boxer” together, and even though they might not be as famous as Paul Simon, they sure made the song sound special.
People loved how James Taylor and Alison Krauss sounded together. One fan on YouTube, Jim Hansen, said, “I really love James Taylor and Paul Simon, but Alison Krauss—wow! Her voice is like an angel, and every song she sings feels like it was made just for her. It makes me feel happy tears.” Another fan, James Ryan, added, “Alison has one of the best voices ever, and this version of the song is awesome.”
The Washington Post newspaper said the duet of “The Boxer” by Taylor and Krauss was spooky and beautiful. They weren’t as nice about some other performances, like Alicia Keyes’ version (they said she shouted too much), or John Mellencamp’s, but they loved Steve Martin’s speech. They said Steve made everyone laugh and brought energy to the show when he made fun of the long, boring speeches for the other honorees.
If you don’t know Alison Krauss, she’s a super talented singer and fiddle player who’s great at bluegrass and country music. She became famous for singing in movies like O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Cold Mountain. She also worked with Robert Plant on two big albums: Raising Sand in 2007 and Raise The Roof in 2021. Raising Sand sold tons of copies and won awards like Album of the Year at the 2009 Grammys.
Now, about “The Boxer”—Paul Simon wrote it, and it’s not really about a fighter. He said in a 1984 interview with Playboy magazine that it’s about himself and how he felt when music critics started saying mean things about him in the late 1960s. He explained, “The song is about me. Everyone’s picking on me, and we started getting criticism for not being real folk singers!” The version by Krauss and Taylor was shorter than the original, which is normal for these events.
Here’s a fun twist: Paul Simon wasn’t even supposed to be honored that night! The Washington Post said Paul McCartney was invited first, but he couldn’t come because he was busy (and he’s not even American). Lucky for us, Paul Simon stepped in, and Steve Martin cheered him up while Alison Krauss and James Taylor touched his heart with their singing.
To wrap things up, check out the trailer for Paul Simon’s new album from 2003, Seven Palms. It’s climbing the charts and even hit #2 on Uncut Magazine’s Best Albums list!
