Paul Pelosi makes his first public appearance since hammer attack at Kennedy Center honors

Paul Pelosi made a dramatic return to the Washington social scene at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, more than a month after suffering a brutal hammer attack at his San Francisco home.

Pelosi joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a box to watch the annual televised ceremony, which honored artists including George Clooney, Gladys Knight and Irish Rockers U2.

Pelosi wore a black hat on her head and a glove on her left hand, days after her wife spoke about her recovery.

This year’s honorees are actor George Clooney; singer-songwriter Amy Grant; singer Gladys Knight; the American composer of Cuban origin Tania León; and the iconic Irish rock band U2, made up of band members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.

He was seen inside the Kennedy Center shortly after President Biden entered the Kennedy Center Opera House.

Honorees are selected each year for their artistic influences on American culture.

Clooney, 61, became a household name in the 1990s with his role as Doug Ross on the television show ER.

He has starred in a large number of movies including ‘Batman & Robin’, ‘Good Night & Good Luck’ and ‘Ocean’s Eleven’. He is married to human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.

Together the two have created the Clooney Foundation for Justice.

Knight, 78, began singing gospel music at age 4 and went on to have a career spanning decades.

She and her family members started ‘Gladys Knight & The Pips’ and produced their first album in 1960 when Knight was just 16 years old.

His classic hits include ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’ and ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’.

Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. met as teenagers at Mount Temple School in Dublin, and in 1978 U2 was formed. From the beginning, U2 were characterized by their drive and ambition, forming as a band -as they themselves have said- ‘before they knew how to play’.

U2’s connection to America goes back decades. They performed in Washington during their first trip to the United States in 1980.

Forty years after their formation, U2 is recognized as one of the world’s greatest live artists. The band has toured the world countless times, released 14 studio albums, sold 170 million albums, and won numerous awards, including 22 Grammy Awards and Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience award.

His songs include ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’, ‘With Or Without You’, ‘Pride (In The Name Of Love)’ and ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’.

The singer Bono has also become known for his philanthropic work to eradicate poverty and raise awareness about AIDS.

The honorees attended a reception at the State Department on Saturday night, where they received their medals: In the back row: U2 members Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr., The Edge and Bono. Bottom row: Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, George Clooney and Tania Leon

Bono talks with Amy Grant at the State Department reception

Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., Amy Grant and George Clooney chat at Saturday night reception

Amy Grant’s career spans more than 40 years, stretching from her gospel roots to becoming an iconic pop star, songwriter, television personality, and philanthropist.

Grant, 62, is well known for crossover pop hits like ‘Baby, Baby’, ‘Every Heartbeat’ and ‘That’s What Love is For’.

She has sold more than 30 million albums and is married to country musician Vince Gill. She told the Associated Press that she had never been to the Kennedy Center Honors and that attending the Honors would be the first time she would visit the cultural center.

Composer and conductor Tania León, 79, left Cuba as a refugee in 1967, eventually settling in New York City. She is a founding member of the Harlem Dance Theater and instituted the Brooklyn Philharmonic Community Concert Series.

He won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Music for Stride.

The 45th Kennedy Center Honors will air on Wednesday, December 28 from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm EST/PST on CBS and will air on Paramount+.