Berklee College of Music president Roger Brown will present Willie Nelson, Carole King and Annie Lennox with honorary doctor of music degrees at Berklee’s commencement ceremony on May 11. Brown will present the degrees at the 7,000-seat Agganis Arena at Boston University. Commencement speaker Lennox will address more than 900 Berklee graduates, their parents and invited guests.
This year’s honorary doctorate recipients are being recognized for their achievements and influence in music and for their enduring contributions to American and international culture. Past recipients include Duke Ellington (the first, in 1971), Dizzy Gillespie, Smokey Robinson, Steven Tyler, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Juan Luis Guerra, Loretta Lynn, Paco de Lucía, David Bowie, the Edge, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Chaka Khan, Bonnie Raitt, George Clinton, Alison Krauss, Kenneth Gamble, and Leon Huff.
On commencement eve, as is Berklee’s tradition, students will pay tribute to the honorees by performing music associated with their careers at the Agganis. The concert and ceremony are not open to the public.
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Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at jnicholson@musicrow.com.View Author Profile
