America has some amazing living legends. Here are a few that come to mind (in no particular order):
- Betty White, actress and animal advocate
- Barbra Streisand, singer, actress, producer, director and philanthropist
- Bob Dylan, singer and songwriter
- Robert Redford, actor and environmental activist
- Tony Bennett, singer and artist
- Carol Burnett, actress and comedienne
- Sylvia Earle, oceanographer, explorer and environmentalist
- Quincy Jones, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and film producer
- Yo-Yo Ma, cellist
- Dolly Parton, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actress, author, businesswoman and humanitarian
- Itzhak Perlman, violinist
- Leontyne Price, opera singer
- Stephen Sondheim, composer and lyricist
- Steven Spielberg, movie producer
- Judy Collins, singer, songwriter and social activist
- Meryl Streep, actress
- Wynton Marsalis, jazz musician
- Carole King, singer, songwriter, activist, environmentalist
I deliberately left sports figures off this list. I wanted to focus on those whose talents have made this world a better place. Sports, while enjoyed by many, isn't anything I enjoy. And those who participate in it don't fit my personal definition of living legends.
Each of the people on this list has enriched us with his or her talents, whether it is singing, acting, or playing a musical instrument better than anybody else. You may disagree with some of my choices. I know that some will dislike the activism of Barbra Streisand, for example, but her many contributions to the world through her music make her, in my opinion, a true living legend.
We as a nation are going through some very disturbing times. So let's take just a moment and think about the talented people on the list above and appreciate their positive contributions to our society and to the world at large.
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