Joke’s on Bill Cosby as Seinfeld, Rock pay tribute
By BRETT ZONGKER
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld will salute fellow funny man Bill Cosby with the nation’s top humor prize at the Kennedy Center, along with two co-stars from “The Cosby Show,” Phylicia Rashad and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
Tribute performances tonight will range from standup to orchestra and jazz as Cosby receives the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Wynton Marsalis is slated to perform, as well as Willie Nelson.
Of all his work, the 72-year-old Cosby says he’s most proud of “The Cosby Show.” He says he carefully crafted the hit TV show the way he wanted it to look.
Cosby has won other big awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. Still, the Mark Twain Prize is special because he says Twain was the “quintessential American writer.”
Cosby will be performing two shows at the Blaisdell Concert Hall on Jan. 15. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, the Blaisdell box office, Ticketmaster outlets or by phone at 800-745-3000.