    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [July 28, 1999]
    [Pages 1344-1345]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at ``In Performance at the White House''
    July 28, 1999

        The President. Thank you. The first thing I want you to do is relax,
    because I'm not going to play, and you'll have to--[laughter]--but I'll
    be wishing.
        At the millennium event on jazz we had here last year, the great
    Wynton Marsalis said that just as we wouldn't have democracy without the
    foundation of our Constitution, so we wouldn't have jazz without the
    foundation of the blues. Like our Constitution, the blues is a great
    American tradition, whose power to move never seems to diminish and
    whose influence never seems to stop growing.
        This compelling and wonderful music, once heard only on rural
    Southern porches and in South Side Chicago bars, now enjoys an audience
    as broad as America itself. In fact, now the whole world knows about the
    blues, and there are fans from Berlin to Bangkok who can tell you the
    life stories of blues icons like Bessie Smith and Robert Johnson. Today,
    there are more blues artists, more blues listeners, more blues clubs,
    and more blues recordings than ever before. Even TV commercials now
    feature the blues, which dramatically reduces the number of people who
    hit the mute button. [Laughter]
        Tonight we celebrate the music that has given birth to or influenced
    the whole large landscape of American music, from ``Rhapsody in Blue''
    to rap. So it's fitting that our host is a master of the great range of
    American music and entertainment, Miss Della Reese. If talent and personality are truly gifts from above,
    then Della Reese really has been ``Touched by an Angel.'' [Laughter]
    Please join me in welcoming Della Reese. [Applause]

    [At this point, the program proceeded. Following the performances, the
    President made brief remarks, which are joined in progress.]

        The President. ----whether I want to be young like Jonny, or like
    B.B. when I'm a little older. [Laughter] They were all magnificent.
        You know, we saw tonight in all these wonderful performers why blues
    is truly one of

    [[Page 1345]]

    America's great gifts to the world. Its appeal, we saw, literally spans
    the generations. Tonight we've been privileged to hear blues greats from
    every era.
        I want to thank each and every one of them. Thank you, B.B.
    King. Thank you, John Cephas and Phil Wiggans. Thank you,
    Marcia Ball. Thank you, Jonny Lang. Thank you, bands. And thank you, Della Reese.
        Thank you, and good night. Thank you.

    [At this point, B.B. King presented the President
    with a guitar pick.]

        The President. Now before you go, I've been saving my B.B. King
    picks for almost 20 years now. I've got another one tonight. [Laughter]
        There is one more person that all of us have to thank this evening,
    Dick Notebaert with Ameritech. Let me
    tell you--Dick, I want you and Peggy to come
    up here, come on. He is about to leave his present position to start on
    a new adventure in life, and Hillary and I want to thank him for his
    long-standing support for these wonderful WETA's ``In Performance at the
    White House.'' We have had so many incredible, incredible concerts here,
    thanks to the generosity of this gentleman and his fine company. And
    Dick and Peggy have accompanied us on so many nights, along with
    Sharon and Jay Rockefeller and many of you who've been here.
        I want to thank all of you for coming tonight, especially the very
    large number of people from my native State and others who occupy that
    portion of the Mississippi Delta between Memphis and New Orleans, where
    all of this really got started. We are very glad to be here, but we
    offer a special thank you to you, my friend, and to you, Peggy. We've got a
    little expression of our thanks here. Bless you. Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:10 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House. In his remarks he referred to musician Wynton Marsalis; Richard
    C. Notebaert, chairman and chief executive officer, Ameritech Corp., and
    his wife, Peggy; and Senator John D. Rockefeller IV and his wife,
    Sharon. A portion of these remarks could not be verified because the
    tape was incomplete.