[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.