When Garth Brooks got recognized in 2021 as a Kennedy Center honoree, Gladys Knight commemorated the occasion by singing Brooks' socially-aware 1992 hit "We Shall Be Free." One calendar year later, Brooks returned the favor by performing "Midnight Train to Georgia" on the evening Knight received her own Kennedy Center Honors medallion.
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A 46-second clip from CBS' Dec. 28 broadcast of this year's ceremony shows Brooks lost in the emotion of a foundational R&B song-- the type that informed "We Shall Be Free" and other message-songs in the country legend's catalog.
"Midnight Train to Georgia" is very much a product of the South. Former Ole Miss quarterback Jim Weatherly wrote it after Texan Farrah Fawcett mentioned something to him about a "midnight plane to Houston," and it became a hit for Atlanta-based family band Gladys Knight & The Pips.
Country star Mickey Guyton sang another Weatherly-penned song, "The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me," to celebrate Knight. Guyton's choice was originally a country song, released by Ray Price a year before Knight's hit 1974 version.
"It was such an emotional moment for me because I love Gladys so much," Guyton shared in a backstage interview. "Singing such an iconic song, that was really nerve-wracking. But then when I just looked at her, and sang it to her, it kind of helped with the nerves. We air-hugged at the end. It was just beautiful."
Guyton joined LL Cool J and Patti LaBelle in sharing onstage comments about Knight's lasting contributions to popular culture. In addition, singer, dancer and actor Ariana DeBose rounded out the musical tributes with her rendition of "Heard It Through the Grapevine."
Amy Grant, George Clooney, Tania Leon and U2 were also celebrated at this year's Kennedy Center Honors, which were filmed in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 4-5.
