Elton John to be honored by Kennedy Center

Elton John and Warren Beatty will be among six entertainers to receive the annual Kennedy Center honors this year, the center said on Wednesday. The other recipients will be the husband and wife team of actors and producers Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, soprano Joan Sutherland, and composer and conductor John Williams. The 2004 honorees will be feted at a gala performance in the Kennedy Center's Opera House on December 5, expected to be attended by President Bush and his wife, the center said. "This year the Kennedy Center honors not the usual five but six extraordinary individuals whose unique and abundant artistry has contributed significantly to the cultural life of our nation and the world," Kennedy Center chairman Stephen Schwarzman said.