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Mo’ Soul at the White House
Published by Angel on Friday, February 25, 2011 at 11:13 am.
( L-R) John Legend, Jamie Foxx, Nick Jonas, and Seal, perform at the W.H. Motown Celebration. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
If you ever had a question that the culture of our White House has changed, you would’ve had your answer last night. Nostalgic tunes and tight harmonies reminiscent of a 1960s childhood wafted through the halls of the White House, pulsing from the East Room like the bass of a set.
As artists like Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and John Legend took the stage to perform Motown hits, guests were no longer in the nation’s capital. No, they were taken back in time to Detroit street corners and barbershops filled with the sounds of “My Girl,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and “Stop in the Name of Love.”
Artist from all genres were brought together to commemorate Motown music in honor of Black History Month. The latest installment in the White House concert series was probably the most soulful yet. Politicos like D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and CBC Chairman Emanuel Cleaver excitedly took on the concert. Barry Gordy sat smiling in the audience, beaming like a proud papa who’s seeing all his hard work come to fruition.
Nick Jonas performed “I Can’t Help Myself”; Natasha Bedingfield, Jordin Sparks, and Ledisi formed a trio to perform “Stop in the Name of Love”; and Smokey Robinson and Sheryl Crow delighted the crowd with their updated rendition of “You Really Got a Hold on Me.”
Jamie Foxx hosted the affair, setting the tone for the evening by performing his own rendition of James Brown’s “Sex Machine,” called “Presidential Machine.” LOL. He even suggested that Barry Gordy lend the administration some of his Motown money to decrease the deficit.
Obama ended the evening by saying, “To Mr. Barry Gordy, thank you for helping us dance in the streets.”
The concert will air on PBS March 1.
