Englewood, N.J.-born suburban cowboy John Travolta was honored by a cast of hundreds at the Museum of the Moving Image Salute at the Waldorf. A wealth of friends and co-stars — including some of the biggest names in showbiz — took the stage to pay tribute to the devout Scientologist and licensed pilot. Among those taking the mike: Travolta’s wife, Kelly Preston; Museum Board Chair Herb Schlosser; Museum Director Rochelle Slovin; James Gandolfini; Kathy Bates; Kyra Sedgwick; Grease co-stars Didi Conn and Jeff Conway; Jeremy Piven; and Bob Balaban. Ron Palillo shared a story from the set of the hit TV show Welcome Back, Kotter: “Travolta put a banana in his pants. That banana became a cast member for the next four years.” Oprah Winfrey presented the Museum’s Salute to the man of the hour.

A well-edited collection of clips spanning 30 years, included: Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Urban Cowboy, Blow Out, Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Face/Off, Primary Colors, and Swordfish.

An accomplished singer, dancer, guitar player, and summer stock actor by the age of 12, Travolta moved to NYC in 1970 to pursue acting, eventually landing a part in the Broadway production of Grease. His 1975 break-out role in Welcome Back, Kotter, and his leading role in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever (which earned him an Oscar nomination) catapulted him to superstardom, followed by the lead role in the 1978 film Grease. Travolta endured a series of box-office ups and downs, then married actress Preston in 1991; they have two children (Jett, 12, and Ella Bleu, 4). The decision by Quentin Tarantino to cast him as the hit man Vincent in the 1994 cult classic Pulp Fiction resurrected his career.

Next up: Long-awaited sequels to Get Shorty and Grease. Travolta is also writing his autobiography (Hyperion Books, 2006). Great first act, John! The best is yet to come....