The Eagles, Carole King among 2015 Kennedy Center honorees

The Eagles and singer-songwriter Carole King join filmmaker George Lucas, conductor Seiji Ozawa, singer-actress Rita Moreno and actress Cicely Tyson as recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors.

“Our honorees represent the voices, soundtracks and stories of our personal lives and memories,” Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubinstein said in a statement.

“When I look at this year’s outstanding slate of honorees,” added Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter in the same statement, “I am struck by a powerful common theme -- artists as history makers, artists who defy both convention and category.”

The honorees will be feted at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 6 in Washington, during an event that’s expected to include the president and First Lady Michelle Obama among the assembled dignitaries. The ceremony will be filmed for a CBS-TV special slated to air Dec. 29.

In an accompanying statement the Eagles said, “Popular music is one of America’s greatest exports—a bridge that spans geographical and cultural boundaries. We are truly humbled to have been able to be part of this global connection.”

King, who started out in New York’s Brill Building songwriting factory turning out hits for numerous rock, pop and R&B performers of the 1960s before launching a solo career that made her one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of the 1970s, said, “I’ve been very lucky to be able to do the work I love for so many years. And it’s even more rewarding to know that what I do has touched the lives of so many people.”

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