Malibu musician Herb Alpert will be honored Wednesday by President Barack Obama for his contributions to music and fine arts, according to a White House release.
Alpert is one of 12 artists being honored with the 2012 National Medal of Arts on July 10 in the East Room of the White House. Other recipients include filmmaker George Lucas, author Ernest J. Gaines and artist Ellsworth Kelly. The First Lady will also attend the ceremony, which also honors the 2012 National Humanities Medal winners.
Alpert’s contributions to music include his Mexican-influenced Tijuana Brass phenomenon and his co-founding of A&M Records in 1962, which has worked with artists including The Carpenters, Carole King, Joan Baez, The Police and Janet Jackson.
He is being honored as “a philanthropist who shares the power of arts education with young people across our county,” according to the White House.
The 78-year-old trumpeter is still making music, and recently released a video for a new rendition of jazz classic “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” featuring dancers from “So You Think You Can Dance.” Alpert also made a few cameos in the video, along with wife Lani Hall, who provided the vocals for the song.
Alpert, also a visual artist, recently unveiled a sculpture titled “Freedom” in Malibu, near the intersection of the Pacific Coast Highway and Rambla Vista. Earlier this year, he displayed a collection of his own paintings and sculptures at at the Robert Berman Gallery in the Bergamot Station Arts Center in Santa Monica.
The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 and has since awarded more than $4 billion to support art and creativity for the benefit of individuals and communities.