The White House is one significant place that is an outstanding achievement when allowed to enter.
Of course, people don’t just go in there without any special invitation. However, quite a few people have visited the White House for one reason or the other.
Some White House visitors are musicians, actors, footballers, business people, and others.
This article will focus on musicians who have performed at the White House and the time and reason for their visit.
A whole lot of musicians have been invited to the White House to perform, and below is a list of some of them;
1. Usher Raymond
The sensational pop singer ‘Usher,’ as fans popularly know him, visited the White House on April 22, 2009.
His main aim in visiting the White House was to discuss the effect of malaria with the then-president of the United States and his staff.
However, he was informed that President Obama had stepped out for an urgent meeting to get to the White House.
Usher was, however, disappointed for not meeting the president on the seat, not that he hadn’t met him before.
Before this time, Usher had visited the White House once to perform at Obama’s inauguration.
2. Stevie Wonder
This fantastic musician is one artist who has visited the White House often. His frequent visits while Barack Obama was in office have raised a couple of questions about the reason for his regular visits.
Stevie Wonder was present at the first and second inaugural celebrations of the Obamas at the White House.
Wonder has received various gifts from the Obamas because they are huge fans of the artist.
Stevie’s last visit to the Obamas at the White House was in 2014 when he came to perform at Michelle Obama’s 50th birthday, at which Beyonce was also present.
3. Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez visited the White House on January 20, 2021, to inaugurate Joe Biden and his vice, Kamala Harris.
As popularly called by fans, J-Lo graced the event in an all-white outfit. At the inauguration, she performed a medley of “America is Beautiful,” “This Land is Your Land,” and a touch of her 1999 hit “Let’s Get Loud.”
4. Beyonce
As fondly called by fans, Bey visited the national “White House” building on January 21, 2013.
She performed the national anthem at the public inaugural ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.
The sensational singer attended the inaugural ceremony with her daughter, Ivy Blue, and her husband, Jay-Z, who served as her bodyguard.
5. Aretha Franklin
Popularly known as the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin was a frequent visitor to the Obamas at the White House when she was alive.
Barack and Michelle Obama had a unique relationship with Aretha Franklin as they said she helped them feel more hopeful with her music.
Aretha Franklin also performed at Obama’s first inauguration in 2009 at the White House.
She gave an outstanding performance of “My Country, tis of Thee” and earned a definitive fashion statement after that.
6. Coco Jones
Courtney Jones, famously known as Coco Jones, is an American singer and rapper. She rose to fame after her act in the American movie ‘Let It Shine.’
She is one of the famous artists who have had the opportunity of making an entry into the White House.
Coco Jones visited the White House on April 1, 2013, to participate in the White House Easter Egg Roll.
She was spotted hanging around with Austin Mahone and taking pictures with him. Though rumors are flying around that they are both real, this has not been proven true.
Aside from Coco Jones, many other musicians and celebrities were also present at the event.
7. Ricky Martin
The pop singer visited the White House on February 3, 2000, when President Clinton was still in power.
His visit to the White House at the time wasn’t to perform but to meet with the president.
Ricky’s engagement with the president was to discuss artillery testing on the Puerto Rican island by the military in cheques.
Apart from meeting with former President Clinton, Martin also visited the White House when Barack Obama was in the seat.
His visit to the White House was to perform on an occasion organized by Barack and Michelle Obama on September 11, 2013. Many other performing artists were present to grace the occasion.
8. Regina Belle
Regina Belle visited the White House on June 30, 2001, when President George W. Bush was on the seat.
She was invited to perform at Black Music Month in the East Room of the White House. The then-president, his wife, Lady Laura Bush, and other congress members were present.
9. Esperanza Spalding
Esperanza Spalding is famous for being an outstanding bassist and jazz vocalist. She was one of the few awesome artists selected by President Barack Obama himself to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony on November 5, 2010.
10. B.B. King
B.B. KING is known for his legendary skills in the blues. He and other legends of blues artists were invited to an event at the White House titled “In Performance at the White House: Red, White, and Blues.”
Various contemporary artists were also in attendance to celebrate blues. On February 21, 2012, the celebration occurred during President Obama’s administration.
Some artists present included Jeff Beck, Susan Tedeschi, Gary Clark, Warren Haynes, and many others. The event was also in recognition of Black History Month.
11. Buddy Guy
This is one of the blues legends who was invited to the White House for a Performance on February 27, 2012.
First Lady Michelle Obama hosted the event, titled “Red, White, and Blues.” A host of blues legends were also in attendance, and they all performed a group performance to celebrate blues.
Conclusion
Many more musicians have been at the White House on different occasions and for various reasons.
While some visited the White House on the invitation for performances, others visited for personal reasons.
Some artists visited the White House when George W. Bush was on the seat. The White House also hosted other musicians during President Bill Clinton’s office.
Likewise, other musicians visited the White House while Obama was seated. Though it’s not been recorded that any musician visited the White House during Donald Trump’s regime, we hope there are.
However, the White House recorded the most visits from musicians when Barack Obama was in the seat. Isn’t he just an incredible President?
