[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
[June 17, 1997]
[Pages 760-761]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at ``In Performance at the White House''
June 17, 1997

    The President. Thank you. Tonight we're going to have a celebration 
of one of the most gifted singers and performers of the last four 
decades, Gladys Knight.
    It's a special honor to have her perform here at the White House 
because her music and her artistry are uniquely American. Some call it 
soul; some call it rhythm and blues; some may even call it rock and 
roll. But the music Gladys helped to popularize really has much deeper 
and more spiritual roots in the rich gospel and soaring harmonies of the 
African-American church.

[[Page 761]]

    Today's popular music has many different points of origin, from the 
dark and cynical swagger of the blues to the lilt of country music, to 
the stark simplicity of our folk music. As all of you know, I love them 
all. But the gospel strain gives the best American music its 
transcendent quality. That's where the soul comes from. And that's where 
Gladys Knight's true gift resides. That is the spark she brings to all 
her diverse repertoire of songs.
    She had her first public performance in the church as a member of 
the Mount Mariah Baptist Church choir when she was all of 4 years old. 
She won Ted Mack's famous ``Amateur Hour''--I'm old enough to remember 
that--[laughter]--at the age of 7. She continued to sing gospel, and she 
even performed with the legendary Gladys Knight and the Pips, with her 
brothers and cousins, and still continued to sing gospel on the side. It 
was the fusion of pop and gospel styles that made Gladys Knight and the 
Pips so special, that and her stunning voice. As far as I'm concerned, 
she could still sing the phone book, and I would like it. [Laughter]
    As one of the earliest Motown successes, Gladys Knight and the Pips 
helped to lay the foundation for the close harmony groups that dominated 
the airways in my youth and, I'm glad to say, are topping the charts 
again today. She deserves a lot of the credit for bringing those sounds 
to a much wider audience through a long string of hit records. And she's 
gotten a fair amount of that credit, from gold and platinum records to 
Grammy Awards, to her induction last year along with the Pips into the 
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
    We're delighted to have Gladys back at the White House. She's a true 
American original. And I'm pleased to be able to share her wonderful 
talent with you tonight.
    Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Gladys Knight.

[At this point, Gladys Knight performed.]

    The President. Now, wait a minute here; this is not on the script. 
First, I think Bubba should run for office. You know, the shy, retiring 
type gets a lot of votes these days. [Laughter]
    I want to tell you something, Gladys. When you sang that last round 
of Georgia songs, some of us knew the answers were Vicki Lawrence, Brook 
Benton, Ray Charles, and Gladys Knight. And when you started singing 
``Georgia on My Mind'' and then you went into ``Midnight Train,'' I 
leaned over and asked Hillary exactly what today was--the 17th. And I'll 
tell you a story: Exactly one week and 30 years ago, across the street 
over there at Constitution Hall, I went to hear Ray Charles sing. And 
you can see it made a fairly deep impression on me. [Laughter] I carried 
the ticket stub for 25 years. And I will carry the memory of this for 
the rest of my life. You were wonderful tonight.
    Ms. Knight. Thank you so much.
    The President. Ladies and gentlemen, Billboard magazine once said it 
is unlikely that Gladys Knight could make a bad record. And tonight she 
has shown us how right Billboard was. So thank you, Gladys. Thank you, 
Bubba. Thank you, musicians. And thank you. We're going to be cheering 
for you for a long, long, long time.
    Thank you for joining us, and good night. God bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 7:57 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Merald (Bubba) Knight, one of the 
Pips; and entertainers Vicki Lawrence, Brook Benton, and Ray Charles.