Two legendary R&B singers can be addressed as doctors in several weeks after receiving their honorary doctorate degrees.
Berklee College of Music has announced that they will present singers Usher Raymond and Roberta Flack will honorary doctorate degrees in music at an upcoming graduation ceremony next month. The music institution will also present Sona Jobarteh
, who plays the kora (a 21-string instrument from the Mandeng region of North Africa) with a doctorate.“Berklee College of Music will present honorary Doctor of Music degrees to @usher, @officialrobertaflack, and @sonajobarteh at our 2023 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 13 at @agganisarena. Read more about the artists at the link in our bio and use #berkleegrad2023 to join the conversation. 🎓🎉❤️”
This year’s honorary doctorate recipients are receiving
the degrees as celebrated artists recognized for their invaluable contributions to music and philanthropy. Usher, Flack, and Jobarteh are joining past recipients that include notable artists like Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, B.B. King, Chaka Khan, Esperanza Spalding, Missy Elliott, John Legend, Celine Dion, Joni Mitchell, B.M. ’05, Willie Nelson, Ringo Starr, and Gloria Estefan.Usher is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, Flack, with four Grammy Awards. Jobarteh considered one of the best Kora players in the world, will each have an opportunity to address the graduating class of 2023.
Usher has recently been in the business of acknowledging legendary entertainers himself. Just last month, while performing at his Las Vegas residency, he stopped his show at the Dolby Live at Park MGM to give fellow performer and hip-hop royalty Queen Latifah some flowers on her birthday.
Meanwhile, in February, as soul singer Anita Baker
was performing a show at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, the My Boo singer appeared on the stage to present the Rapture of Love singer with a bouquet for Valentine’s Day.