For 70 years, country stars have been honored with invitations to perform for the president at the White House. The Coon Creek Girls did it first, in 1939, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was in office. And next month, President Barack Obama will host a show devoted to country music. The president, whose inauguration activities featured performances by Garth Brooks, Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, has hosted other events in which country artists such as Martina McBride, Billy Ray Cyrus and Mark Wills have participated. According to GAC, the event will take place July 21, although details regarding which artists will participated have yet to be released. The country-music event is part of President Obama's mission to embrace the whole of American culture.
"The President wants the White House to be a stage," the administration's social secretary, Desiree Rogers, told The New York Daily News. "We want Americans feeling they're part of the house."
Among other country artists who have interacted with the commander-in-chief throughout are Rodney Atkins, who performed 'If You're Going Through Hell (Before The Devil Even Knows)' for George W. Bush during National Adoption Month; Dolly Parton, who received the National Medal of Arts from Bush; Jimmy Buffett, who sang for Bill Clinton on his birthday; and Kenny Chesney who sang the national anthem for a tee ball game on the White House lawn in July 2008.
A couple of country acts whose White House visits were memorable for other reasons include Willie Nelson, who smoked marijuana on the White House roof while visiting Jimmy Carter and family, and Johnny Cash, who refused a request from Richard Nixon to sing Merle Haggard's 'Okie From Muskogee,' performing an anti-Vietnam War tune called 'What Is Truth' instead.
And while the White House had featured many captive audiences through the years, it also had a captive performer in country-pop legend Eddy Arnold, who got trapped in an elevator a dinner hosted by the wife of President Lyndon Johnson.
Reader Comments(1 of 22)
brighabbottat 6-25-2009
It seems like common sense that when the country is in economic decline,tax payer money should not be spent to have a party.
Daubenspeck'sat 6-28-2009
Very true words. Obama acts like he as won the lottery! He can't stay at the White House and atually work. He is either given a press conference, flyiung somewhere(with family in tow) or throwing/going to parties/dinners. ON OUR DIME. I truely hope this does not blow up in his face because when it does, the American people will suffer, not Obama.
tmy818at 6-28-2009
Couldn't agree with you more!! Parties, golfing, guest spots on late night t.v. Exactly when is he working on getting the Country in better shape??!!
JOHNNIEat 6-28-2009
I'm starting to get ticked. A vacation in Hawaii, then Paris and London. A luau, date night in NYC, Grandma living in the White House and now a hoe-down! Plus, he is on every show imaginable. When are we going to see "The Change"? The party is over. Get to work! Did you know a Secret Service agent is assigned to take his glass and utensils and put them in a plastic bag and hidden, so no one can get his DNA? That's bit much
conecthdotat 6-28-2009
I wonder when MY invitation will arrive??
dwj469at 6-28-2009
I dont remember Obama asking taxpayers in this economic downturn if we would be willing to pay for this party do any of you? Oh wait maybe he is paying for it with his own money? Yeah right, he spends worse than a drunken sailor, like a kid in the candy store. What a shame. Maybe next year we can at least get these country destroyers out of congress and get some people in there that believe in our country and want to do the right thing.
relee531at 6-28-2009
I agree. When is he going to work? Didn't he do the same when he was a senator? How many roll calls did he miss? He was out more than he was in the senate.
askanfallsat 6-28-2009
Couldn't agree with you more, instead of wasting fuel, and time flying around the country, he should be at the White House...working! There are people that are losing their homes, still, even though there was supposed to be a moratorium on foreclosures. He keeps spending like all he has to do is print some more and we will be OK, he jets to New York because that was a campaign promise he made to his wife. What about all of the other promises he made to the people who voted for him (not one of them)? Where is this change?
The man had no substance or platform during the election, and he has none now. He has charisma, the cult of personality if you will. I just hope people wake up before all the lemmings head over the cliff following blindly.
tokeenoat 6-28-2009
odd how everyone's criticizing a man who is also working very visibly before the american people every day. how 'bout that last guy, who was on a month's vacation in august 2001?
Joyceat 6-28-2009
Unless it's a republican President.
Richardat 6-25-2009
Go Away Barack...We are sick and tired and broke...Enjoy the Pork
hoopat 6-28-2009
Maybe he should just go cut some brush and ride his bicycle for half of his tenure in the White house in some podunk Texas backwater, and then move into the city after the image is no longer needed???? NAAAAAAAH no one would support that crap... This guy has a lot of stuff moving thru congress and trips to build relations are a PART of the job... it is about time we had someone there who could do something besides mispronounce NUcUlar...
hootramsyat 6-25-2009
Well, at least it isn't rap like the past performers he has licked up on and pushed on the population. His inaugural parties were disgraceful with the rap moguls. Maybe he has decided to make an attempt at improving his scumbag image with a little country "style."
How tragic that he and his nasty wife blow taxpayer money on parties while the rest of us barely can eat and pay the rent because of his reckless spending.
I doubt he will be able to find many country stars that will be willing to disgrace themselves by affiliating with the scumbag.
ohmwreckerat 6-28-2009
What a surprise that a bunch of inbred, redneck country music fans are Obama haters. How shocking! You hillbillies need to stop blaming the government for the fact that you are poor, toothless and stupid. It's not Obama's fault that you bought your trailers on bad credit against money that you didn't have. If you you have to blame somebody, at least blame someone who deserves it. Your good ol' boy Bush is the one who created this mess.
JANDIRA ARANTESat 6-28-2009
How dare you blame our cammander and chief for his spending when it was the mortgage companies and selfish people in the financial sector of our country that put us in the position we are in today.And further more I can't stand narrow minded people like yourself.I think Mr. Obama is doing a hell of a good job dispite what we gave him.