Seinfeld, Rock and Rashad among stars to honor Bill Cosby with Mark Twain humor prize
By APThursday, August 20, 2009
Seinfeld to salute Cosby with top humor prize
WASHINGTON — The comedian who kept NBC viewers entertained on Thursday nights well after “The Cosby Show” was gone will salute Bill Cosby when he receives the nation’s top humor prize, organizers said Thursday.
Jerry Seinfeld will honor Cosby on Oct. 26 with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.
Seinfeld will be joined by Chris Rock, “Cosby” co-stars Phylicia Rashad and Malcolm-Jamal Warner and others. The center announced the lineup Thursday and said the sold-out event will be broadcast nationally Nov. 4 on PBS.
Cosby, 72, already received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998 and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002.
The tribute will reflect Cosby’s diverse musical tastes, with performances by jazz artist Wynton Marsalis, country singer Willie Nelson and orchestra conductor James DePreist.
Cosby is the 12th honoree to receive the Twain prize. Past recipients include Steve Martin, Whoopi Goldberg and most recently George Carlin.
