Posted by | Ray Cornelius
All eyes were on the Saban Theater last night for the All-Star Tribute to actor and comedian Eddie Murphy. According to TheGrio, a bevy of Hollywood comedians and actors including Arsenio Hall, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Samuel L. Jackson and Tyler Perry were in the house to salute the comedic genius.
Arsenio Hall
Jamie Foxx, Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock and Keenan Ivory Wayans were also present for the two-hour tribute that will air on November 14 on Spike TV.
No doubt there were some special moments throughout the evening including Tracy Morgan wearing a replica of Murphy’s red leather suite from his standup show Delirious. Samuel L. Jackson said Murphy “changed the course of American film history” by giving Jackson his first speaking role on the big screen, in 1988′s “Coming to America.”
Tracy Morgan
But the highlight of the evening was the duet between Murphy and musical superstar Stevie Wonder. Murphy reported joined Wonder for a rousing rendition of his 1973 classic hit, “Higher Ground.” The evening also featured clips of Murphys other film roles and his work on “Saturday Night Live.” Murphy was said to be quite moved by the tribute and had this to say at the program’s conclusion.
Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx
“This is really a touching moving thing, and I really appreciate it,” he said. “You know what it’s like when you have something like this? You know when they sing happy birthday to you? It’s like that for, like, two hours… and I am Eddied out.”
