The Television Academy is apologizing for a mistake made Sunday night during the2019 Emmy Awards‘ In Memoriam segment.
During the tribute, which featured a performance fromHalsey, an image was mistakenly shown of Leonard Slatkin, a 75-year-old conductor, in place of the late André Previn, a German composer, pianist and conductor who died in February at age 89.
“The producers for the 71stEmmy Awards, the Television Academy and FOX sincerely apologize for this error,” an Emmy spokesperson told PEOPLE in a statement on Tuesday. “All In Memoriam mentions on the Television Academy’s website feature accurate imagery for Mr. Previn.”
Andre Previn (left) and Leonard Slatkin.Nicky J. Sims/Redferns; Getty
Fox
Previn worked on the music for over 50 films — includingGigi,Porgy and Bless, Irma la DouceandMy Fair Lady —during his long career. He earned four Oscars and 10Grammy Awardsfor his recordings, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.
He is also well-known for his marriage toMia Farrowfrom 1970-1979; they had three biological children together and adopted three more, includingSoon-Yi, who is married toWoody Allen. Previn had nine children in total from his five marriages.
Andre Previn.
André Previn and Mia Farrow.
After explaining some of the highlights of the show, Kimmel, 51, welcomed Slatkin in via video chat, joking, “please welcome the newly resurrected Leonard Slatkin.”
“My first question is are you dead right now?” Kimmel asked. The conductor explained that he woke up at 4 a.m. in Ireland to see on the internet that people were incorrectly reporting he’d died.
“There were a flood of messages that had come in, and I kept wondering ‘why are they sending me messages if they think I am gone?'” Slatkin said to laughter from the audience.
Slatkin then explained that he actually knew the late Previn: “He did it all, he was a great gentleman, and I was just sad he wasn’t remembered the way he should be,” he told Kimmel.
When the talk show host asked Slatkin what Previn would think about the error, the conductor joked, “They talk about people spinnning in your graves, but Andre isn’t spinning, he’s laughing all the way.”
source: people.com
