Berklee to honor actor Clint Eastwood

Berklee College of Music will present an honorary degree to Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood.

Eastwood may be best known for tough guy roles such as Dirty Harry, but he has "created a deeper appreciation for music, specifically jazz, through his films as a director, producer, and as a composer," the Boston college said today.

Berklee cited the movie "Play Misty for Me," in which Eastwood played a jazz disc jockey, a biopic of jazz great Charlie Parker, and a documentary titled "Thelonious Monk Straight No Chaser" as examples of the Eastwood oeuvre where music played a star turn.

Plans call for Eastwood to be presented with the honorary degree by Berklee president Roger Brown and star alumna Diana Krall (class of 1983) at the Monterey Jazz Festival on Sept. 22.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)