John Legend took to the stage at Monday’s Emmy Awards to honor the stars who left us over the past year. The “In Memoriam” segment was one of the highlights of the evening, with the EGOT winner performing his new song “Pieces”.
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Presenting Legend and the segment, Anthony Anderson said, “It never feels like the right time to say goodbye to a loved one, friend or cherished icon.”
He added. “To quote Shakespeare: ‘All the world is a stage and all men and women but players, they have their exits and their entrances, and a man plays many parts in his time.’ Because we recognize that the legends of our industry are passed on, we celebrate all they have created and shared with the world. May they rest in peace and strength.”
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During Legend’s performance, some viewers criticized the choice to use wide-angle shots to include Legend with the names of commemorators in the background, which made it difficult to read.
Here is the list of people mentioned during the segment: Betty White, David Warner, Emilio Delgado, Peter Scolari, Yoko Shimada, Burt Metcalfe, Jay Sandrich, George Yanok, John Bowman, Jak Knight, Dwayne Hickman, Tony Dow, Roger E Mosley, Howard Hesseman, Lisa R Anderson, Amy Lin Johnson, Charles Cappleman, Mercedes Leanza, Marc Pilcher, Tony Walton, Willie Garson, Robert Morse, Bernard Shaw, Larry Sellers, Marilyn Bergman, David Arnold, George Shapiro, Estelle Harris, Liz Sheridan, John Madden, Vin Scully, Nichelle Nichols , Bob Saget, James Caan, Gilbert Gottfried, Cheslie Kryst, Dean Stockwell, Tony Sirico, Jean-Marc Vallée, Michael Nesmith, Louie Anderson, Anne Heche, Paul Sorvino, Ray Liotta and Sidney Poitier.
One notable star left out in the television segment was Olivia Newton-John. However, the Grease graduate, who didn’t do much television, was listed online on the Emmys In Memoriam website. Other omitted actors included Beverly Hills, 90210 stars Denise Dowse and Joe E. Tata, Pat Carroll (voice of Ursula from The Little Mermaid), Mary Alice, Taurean Blacque, Larry Storch, Lenny Von Dohlen, Maggie Peterson, Charles Siebert and Philip Baker Hall, Davidbirney, Norm Macdonald, and Scoey Mitchell.
Before the gala, executive producer Reggie Hudlin teased Legend’s performance and explained why they decided on a “new song” for this segment.
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“Normally we wouldn’t make a new song in a situation like this. We listened with skepticism that quickly turned to wild enthusiasm. It’s an incredibly powerful, moving song,” Hudlin said at a recent press conference. “You’re all fans of John Legend, you know how he can reach right into your heart and tear you down. … A performance of John Legend is always something to look forward to and the song is unique and special and uniquely suited to the context in which we are going to place it.”