Booker T. Jones, Justin Timberlake Top ‘Memphis Soul’ Bill at White House
Booker T. Jones, Justin Timberlake, Alabama Shakes and Mavis Staples will perform tonight at the White House as part of a stacked celebration of Memphis soul.
Jones will serve as musical director and band leader for the performance, which will also feature Queen Latifah, Cyndi Lauper, Ben Harper, Charlie Musselwhite, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Steve Cropper, Joshua Ledet and Sam Moore. The entire show will streamed live on the White House website starting at 6:55 p.m. EST, while “In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul” will air April 16th at 8 p.m. on PBS.
Mick Jagger, B.B. King Celebrate the Blues with President Obama
Earlier today, first lady Michelle Obama hosted a workshop for students led by Robert Santelli, executive director of the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, that focused on the origins and legacy of Memphis soul, while Timberlake, Staples, Harper, Musselwhite and Moore also spoke about their relationship with the music, as well as their own careers.
The “Memphis Soul” revue marks the 10th installment of the “In Performance at the White House” series. Last year’s event was dubbed “Red, White and Blues,” and featured performances from artists like B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Mick Jagger and Gary Clark Jr.