Four ‘Living Legends’ Get Music Honors

Entertainers Liza Minnelli, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson and Andrew Lloyd Webber were honored by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences as “Grammy Living Legends” for their contributions to the music industry.

The black-tie gala Tuesday night in Los Angeles featured performances by the honorees and others such as Kris Kristofferson, Gene Autry, Emmylou Harris and New Kids on the Block.

The two-hour event was staged to honor influential veteran performers. It was videotaped for later broadcast on CBS.

Minnelli, who performed accompanied by saxophonist Clarence Clemons, recently demonstrated musical vitality in the new album “Results,” which experiments with an updated, popular sound.

Lloyd Webber, a three-time Grammy award winner who attended the bash with his wife, actress and singer Sarah Brightman, was honored for his creation of such theatrical blockbusters as “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Evita,” and “Cats.”

Country singer Nelson, whose most recent album is entitled “A Horse Called Music,” has won five Grammys and is known for such classics as “Always on My Mind,” “Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” and “On the Road Again.”

Smokey Robinson has recorded about 40 albums in his more-than-30-year career. With the group the Miracles, he established himself with songs like “Tracks of My Tears.” Later he went solo and has enjoyed success with “Being With You,” and “Just to See Her.”

Rock ‘n’ roll star Rod Stewart was slated to be honored with an award but pulled out of the event shortly after the recipients were announced last month.