Rock 'n' roll and pop legends, singers and stars of Hollywood and Broadway were celebrated on Sunday for their lifetime contributions to American culture with a gala performance attended by President George W. Bush. All in all, Barbra Streisand, Morgan Freeman, George Jones, Twyla Tharp and Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of the Who this weekend became the latest receivers of the Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime achievement in the performing arts.

The ceremony took place at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue during one of Washington's few A-list events. This year's Kennedy Center honors are the last to be presided over by President Bush. Therefore, this year's Kennedy Center honorees were especially noteworthy.

That’s why Barbra Streisand herself decided to bury the hatchet and pay a friendly visit. Streisand, a vocal critic of President George W. Bush, was among the recipients of this year’s Kennedy Center Honors. In a video message, Queen Latifah said Streisand "threw out the rule book" to chart her own career. "She took to the stage like butter on a bagel," she added.

Despite Streisand's unending opposition to Bush and his policies, she told the Associated Press that "Art transcends politics this weekend." She even returned an "awkward" kiss on the cheek from Bush with one of her own. However Streisand couldn't resist revealing her true feelings when asked if she would have preferred Barack Obama as the President hosting last night's event.

Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington recounted some advice he got from Morgan Freeman when he suggested improvising a fight during a Shakespeare production in 1979. "He said 'All right, Denzel. We click the swords three times -- click, click, click. I stab you. You fall down, and you die," Washington said to laughter from the politicians, prominent donors and other guests at the black-tie gala.

As for the rest of the Kennedy Center events, George Jones showed up despite earning the nickname "No Show Days" during his notorious days of fame. The Kennedy Center honorees were witness to tribute performances by New York, Nashville and Hollywood stars, like Ne-Yo and Rob Thomas. First Lady Laura Bush took the stage to salute George Jones, saying "there's no getting tired of a singer like him". Country stars Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson and Shelby Lynne gave Jones a tip of the hat with performances of the star's work.

The weekend celebration included a dinner hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday at the State Department. On Sunday, stars appeared on stage at the annual gala at the John F. Kennedy Center. After the reception, the group traveled with the president and first lady Laura Bush to the performing arts center for a gala in their honor. The gala will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 30.