By: Jacob Elyachar
On this Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, Chief Justice John Roberts will swear in President Obama to begin his second term of his presidency.
Over the past 20 years, Presidential inaugurations have had multiple events that feature some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry perform in front of the President-elect and the thousands of people who fly to Washington, D.C. to see history being made.
This article reflects on some of the most important performances over the past 20 years that has made us reflect, cheer and feel patriotic.
Aretha Franklin: “Someday We’ll All Be Free”/”Respect” (1993)
The Queen of Soul performed two songs at President Clinton’s first pre-Inauguration event: the Reunion at the Mall. She gave a rousing cover of Donny Hathaway’s power anthem followed by one of her classics: “Respect” that made received one of the biggest roars of approval at the event.
To watch Aretha’s performance, click here: http://youtu.be/Krp39ao-Gcs
President Clinton sang “We Are The World” at his first inauguration with Michael Jackson, Diana Ross and Kenny Rogers. (Photo by the AFP)
Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Melissa Etheridge, Tony Bennett, Michael Bolton & more: “We Are the World”/”America the Beautiful” (1993)
Reunion at the Mall’s final two songs were “We Are The World” & “America the Beautiful.” That event was the first and last time that many music legends performed together united in song. From seeing President Clinton singing along with Diana Ross to Ray Charles’ impeccable rendition of his much beloved take on the patriotic anthem, this performance was one of the most remarkable events of the 1990s.
Barbra Streisand: “Evergreen” (1993)
One performer that showed off class throughout her performance at the 42nd Presidential Inaugural Gala was the legendary entertainer. Barbra’s performance of “Evergreen” was like watching a graduate level vocal performance at the University of California at Berkley. She captivated everyone and President Clinton just glowed with excitement.
Stevie Nicks passed a tambourine to president-elect Bill Clinton during the finale of the 1993 Presidential Gala. (Photo by the AP’s Amy Sancetta)
Fleetwood Mac: “Don’t Stop” (1993)
The climax of the 42nd Presidential Inaugural Ball was the much-anticipated reunion of the Rumors line-up of Fleetwood Mac. While they only performed President Clinton’s campaign song, “Don’t Stop,” this was one of the most important moments in rock/pop music in the 1990s.
Bruce Springsteen performed an acoustic version of his 2002 hit: “The Rising” at President Obama’s first inauguration. (Photo by Dennis Brack)
Bruce Springsteen: “The Rising” (2009)
16 years later, there was another historic event that brought the entertainment world together: the election of the United States’ first African-American president: Barack Obama. The first artist to open the historic We Are One concert was the Boss, who with the help of a powerful choral ensemble delivered a goose bump worthy performance of his 2002 hit: “The Rising.”
To watch the Boss deliver an impressive acoustic take of “The Rising,” click here: http://youtu.be/KS1rUmSbrKQ
James Taylor, John Legend & Jennifer Nettles: “Shower the People” (2009)
There were two ensembles that stole the We Are One concert. One ensemble was made up three incredible singer-songwriters: James Taylor, John Legend and Jennifer Nettles. They successfully showcased beautiful harmonies and their individual vocal styles when they tackled James’ classic hit.
Stevie Wonder, Usher & Shakira: “Higher Ground” (2009)
The two future Voice coaches teamed up with the music legend to deliver a funky cover of Stevie’s “Higher Ground.” This arrangement of the song not only allowed the two music superstars of today times to shine but it also let Stevie show some of his signature vocal and musical tricks.
The Queen of Soul had the privilege of performing at the two inaugurations that are featured in this article. (Photo by Reuters’ Jason Reed)
Aretha Franklin: “My Country Tis of Thee” (2009)
Aretha Franklin has the unique distinction to be the only singer to perform at the Inauguration ceremony itself. The Queen of Soul delivered a soul-stirring cover of the classic patriotic tune that was worthy of a Grammy Award.
Besides the Queen of Soul’s strong vocal performance, many Americans were fascinated with her hat. To watch the performance, click here: http://youtu.be/CJhkUd9ZslY
I do not own any of the clips featured in the article, they belong to the artists, their respective record labels and production companies.
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