VIDEO: Steven Tyler at Kennedy Center Honors

12:58 PM PST 1/3/2011 by Shirley Halperin

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The Aerosmith frontman and 'American Idol' judge slays a Beatles medley, inspiring Sir Paul McCartney to sing along.

Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

New American Idol judge Steven Tyler was among the performers to take the stage for the 33rd annual Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 28 (the event was taped in Washington DC earlier in the month) paying tribute to legendary entertainers Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey, country singer Merle Haggard, composer Jerry Herman and dancer Bill T. Jones.

The Aerosmith frontman took on the challenging side B medley from The Beatles' Abbey Road and, in a word, absolutely slayed it. His stellar performance had the audience on its feet and even inspired Sir Paul and Oprah to sing along! But the biggest wonder is how well Tyler's voice has held up over so many years of rock debauchery -- at 62, he's no doubt seen and done it all -- and it goes to show that compared to, say, Paula Abdul, he's more than qualified to judge not just showmanship but true singing talent.

Gwen Stefani and No Doubt, Norah Jones and Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl also honored McCartney with songs from his past while svelte Idol alum Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to Winfrey with a performance of "I'm Here," from Winfrey-produced Broadway show "The Color Purple." Check out videos below.