WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama revealed a secret crush and Caroline Kennedy crooned to her namesake song on Sunday at the Kennedy Centre Honours, which celebrated actress Meryl Streep and singer Neil Diamond. The annual awards program, which also honoured singer Barbara Cook, jazz great Sonny Rollins, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, brought together stars from the stage and screen in a celebration of music, movies, and Broadway shows. Right now, somewhere in America, there is a future Kennedy Centre honouree - practicing on some phone books, or writing songs to impress a girl, or wondering if she can cut it on the big stage, Obama said at the White House, greeting the winners before the show and noting the importance of the arts. It turns out the president once fell for Streep, the actress who has been nominated for 16 Academy Awards and won two. Anybody who saw 'The French Lieutenants Woman had a crush on her, Obama said, joking that he was straying from his prepared remarks. Of Diamond, Obama said his songs could be heard everywhere from baseball games to childrens movies. With a voice he describes as being full of gravel, potholes, left turns and right turns, he went on to sell more than 125 million records, Obama said. The Sweet Caroline singer told reporters he would thank Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of slain President John F. Kennedy, for being the namesake of that signature song. Im going to thank her for giving me the title for 'Sweet Caroline, Diamond said before the show. The story really is about my former wife and myself, but it is her name that I used, and I have to thank her for that. Kennedy, who presided over the evening, referred to Diamond with a line from the tune reaching out, touching me to laughter from the audience. She later joined singer Smokey Robinson and other performers for a rendition of the song, crooning along somewhat awkwardly.