One of the more famous acts to play at the White House was Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. Richard Nixon made music requests, but Johnny Cash’s song was very different Nixon even accompanied Pearl Bailey on piano as she sang for French President Pompidou. In his time as president, Nixon hosted everyone from Ray Charles to Frank Sinatra. For example, Duke Ellington hosted a 1969 jazz concert for his 70th birthday, and Merle Haggard came to play country music. Though musical performances were always commonplace at the White House, they began to represent a wider slice of popular culture in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Johnny Cash | Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images The White House hosted an entertainment seriesĭuring his abbreviated tenure as president, Richard Nixon hosted a series of musical acts at the White House. Cash was in a position that most others were not, though: he was able to play his protest song directly to the President of the United States. Like many others, Johnny Cash used his song lyrics to decry the war. Artists declared their support or condemnation of the war through music. The Vietnam War kicked off one of the more polarizing periods in American music.
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