Thought this was a nice story.

PHILADELPHIA - Actor Richard Gere is being honored with the Marian Anderson Award.

Gere will accept the honor Monday evening at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Executive director Pat Moran says Gere is being cited for his humanitarian efforts as well as his movies.

Moran says Gere is the first native-born Philadelphian to receive the award.

He spent only a very brief time in the Philadelphia area, but his parents are from the city. He also has extensive family ties to the region and a number of connections to the University of Pennsylvania.

Moran says artists are in a unique position to make positive changes in the world and bring attention to issues in a way lawmakers and philanthopists cannot.

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"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."

Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

I am just "kuh-RAZEE" about Richard Gere. He's quite the silver fox!

I didn't know that Gere could sing, much less that he was an operatic soprano.

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A song that says it all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqITJFGyq4s

Its Marian Anderson, not Marion.

If I'm not mistaken, the "O" spelling is usually for a male (though if I were a male with the name "Marion" I think I'd change it!)

Oh, me too. I remember noticing how gorgeous he was the first time I saw Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and then thinking Diane Lane's character was an idiot when she cheated on his character in Unfaithful.

Anybody have any Richard Gere sightings today??

I just got home from the MA awards and it was wonderful. Diane Lane did the tribute to him and the performances were wonderful! Much of Gere's extended family was in the audience -- along with his wife Carrie Lowell. He's still gorgeous.