Liza Is Named an "Officier" in the Legion of Honor

Liza Minnelli was called "a tiger with the heart of a lamb" when she was awarded the prestigious rank of "officier" in the Legion of Honor by France's cultural minister, Frederic Mitterrand, reports The New York Times.

Mitterrand pinned the medal affixed to a red ribbon to Minnelli's silk jacket, and while honoring her said, "Priestess of the music hall, you are the contemporary incarnation of talented versatility a l'Americaine!" He also described her as "a tiger -- with the heart of a lamb."

Mitterrand also praised the charitable work of the superstar entertainer, one of the first celebrities to bring AIDS awareness to mainstream media, as well as her prolific recording career, which has "made her an icon in every community, and notably the gay community."

In 1987, Minnelli, who has won virtually every conceivable entertainment award including an Academy Award, three Tonys, an Emmy, and a Grammy Legend Award, was made chevalier of the Legion of Honor, the first of several ranks of the award created by Napoleon in 1802 for service to the French state.

Minnelli is scheduled to perform in concert at the famed Olympia theater in Paris this evening.