Hot! Barack Obama Sings Al Green

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In this particular Thursday, July 23, 1998 track photo, punk legend Lionel Hampton, right, achieves by using President Bill Clinton to the saxophone with the particular East Room on the White House during a get together around recognition connected with Hampton's 90th birthday. (AP Photo/Ruth Fremson)

JERRY SCHWARTZ,Associated Press

Is them an excessive amount to help request our own presidents to be able to uphold the actual Constitution, command your television forces, execute that country's laws AND produce people using slightly musical interlude?

The question pertains head around the actual wake with Barack Obama's overall look in the Apollo Theater, if the chief of the no cost earth took a flash in order to station the particular Rev. Al Green , singing a bar through "Let's Stay Together." The group (and admirers to the Internet) went nuts, reacting in a way many people rarely perform to, say, your veto meaning or even a new Thanksgiving Proclamation.

Obama, of course, is not the first us president to indicate his / her tuneful part into the public. Through the years, commanders-in-chief have changed musicians-in-chief, with ranging results.

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Among them:

RICHARD NIXON. He had been simply no Billy Joel. And yet two times inside 1974, inside the very last months of his bound administration, the actual President Who Was Not a Crook turned the President Who Was the particular Piano Man. He played "God Bless America" with the Grand Ole Opry, and also the exact same beat when this individual accompanied singer Pearl Bailey inside the East Room of the White House. The a pair of in addition conspired upon "Home about the Range" in addition to "Wild Irish Rose." ''You will not engage in and also I sing," Bailey joked, "but I don't sing as well as a person govern." She was half right.

Nixon furthermore seemed on TV by using Jack Paar with 1963, along with performed a little concerto of his unique devising. Nixon reported this could place the kibosh with his political career: "The Republicans will not need to another cello player in the White House," he or she said.

HARRY TRUMAN. Nixon was talking about "Give 'em Hell Harry," a new Democrat that could possibly for no reason move your piano not having sitting yourself down to try out some sort of couple of bars. In 1952, Truman executed some sort of nationally televised visit regarding the particular recently renovated White House and played out somewhat on the 1938 Steinway. The constructing had been ruined while some sort of calf involving piano gamed by means of his little princess Margaret, a singer whose ability ended up being involving several dispute, crashed through this ground of this decrepit mansion.

Truman also played regarding Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill at the Potsdam Conference, none shortening nor widening World War II appreciably. The person would like the piano: "My selection early in life has been either to become piano-player in a very whorehouse or even a politician," he / she as soon as said. "And that will say to the truth, there is certainly little or no difference."

THOMAS JEFFERSON. He gamed your violin, and not just in order to meet women (though that's exactly how he came up to recognise his harpsichord-playing wife, Martha). When he or she had not been publishing that Declaration connected with Independence or maybe rewriting that Bible or inventing a four-sided new music remain regarding string quartets, your dog made music. He enjoyed that cello and also clavichord, women and men violin appeared to be his instrument, and he ended up being a ringer for a lot of orchestras. Though normally within want regarding money, he usually refused payment.

BILL CLINTON. William Jefferson Clinton, possibly not yet president, went on a giant move in that focus inside June 1992 when he showed up which has a saxophone in addition to wraparound solar shades to play "Heartbreak Hotel" on "The Arsenio Hall Show." ''It's good to check out some sort of Democrat blow some thing in addition the election," quipped the host.

After he earned the presidency, Clinton played with E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons with an inaugural ball. He additionally required a second out of a strong East European vacation around 1994 that will ascend the stage regarding Prague's Reduta Jazz Club and play "My Funny Valentine" and "Summertime." At a single level he / she invited Czech leader Vaclav Havel to enroll in him; this would be remembered in political in addition to musical technology history as the Two Presidents Gig.

Many other chief executives performed, though definitely not in public. John Quincy Adams enjoyed that flute, Chester Arthur that banjo, Woodrow Wilson this violin. Franklin Roosevelt liked that will sing. And John Tyler regarding "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too" celebrity organized their 15 youngsters within a White House minstrel band. Historian Elise Kirk pronounces this possibly integrated banjo, bones, drums plus guitar. Plus your nation fiddle.

Mercifully, very little video clips exist.

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News Researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to that report.