CAROLE KING IS HONORED AT WHITE HOUSE

CAROLE KING IS HONORED AT WHITE HOUSE

By:  Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger

 

As a long-standing tradition, President Obama and First Lady Michelle are continuing with the entertaining series “In Performance at the White House”.  The goal is to showcase the rich fabric of American culture in the nation’s most famous home, the White House.  This marks the eleventh installment during the President’s term.

Some of the most talented artists in the entertainment industry have been recognized in the past such as Stevie Wonder in 2009, Sir Paul McCartney in 2010 and Burt Bacharach and Hal David in 2012.  The event dates back to 1978.  There has been every kind of musical tribute that you can imagine from the roots and resiliency of country music, the spirit of the Broadway musical to ‘Motown and The Blue’s to celebrate Black History Month.

This past Wednesday, May 22,2013, in the Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress, one of the most celebrated musicians and songwriters of all time was awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.  That honor went to Carole King who has been making music for many years.  The Gershwin Prize commemorates George and Ira Gershwin, the legendary American songwriting team whose extensive manuscript collections reside in the Library of Congress. The prize is awarded to musicians whose lifetime contributions in the field of popular song exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins.

This year is even more significant as for the first time ever, the Gershwin Prize was awarded to a woman. That is a major achievement.  There was much ado leading up to the ceremony.  At 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, the First Family hosted a concert in the East Room of the White House as their tribute to the great Carole King.  Not only did King perform but others that entertained included Gloria Estefan, Billy Joel, Jesse McCartney, Emeli Sande’, James Taylor and Trisha Yearwood.

An invitation-only concert was also held that was hosted by the Library of Congress in esteem for Ms. King.  Patti Austin, Colbie Caillat, Michael Feinstein, Siedah Garrett, Louise Goffin, Shelby Lynne, Gian Marco, Arturo Sandoval and of course, Carole King, all performed for the guests which included White House officials.

The festivities were overshadowed by the unfortunate natural disaster that occurred in Moore, Oklahoma, and President Obama opened his speech with encouragement for those trying to recover and gather their lives back together due to the devastating tornado.  He conveyed that his thoughts and prayers are with each and every one of the victims.  Music is inspirational and comforting when times are most difficult and can be a wonderful diversion.  Here is an excerpt from his speech given on that evening:

‘By the age of four, Carole was already mastering the piano.  By 15, she had already conducted her first orchestra.  By 17, she had already written her first number one hit, which you’ve already heard — “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” — with Gerry Goffin.  So at this point, all of you are feeling like underachievers.  I understand.   It was pretty clear by this time that this promising young musician from New York — who grew up not far from where George and Ira Gershwin were born — was destined for similar heights.

Whether it was Little Eva telling us to do the “Loco-Motion” or Aretha Franklin belting out the anthem of “A Natural Woman” or James Taylor reminding us that even here in Washington, “You’ve got a friend” – — for an entire decade, behind so many of the songs that touched our hearts, behind so many of the lyrics that stirred our soul there was Carole — ever joyful, ever uplifting. 

And then, in 1971, came the biggest break of all, when she showed the world that she couldn’t just write hit songs, she could sing them too.  Her album — “Tapestry” — struck a chord with a whole new legion of fans, including me.  It was the very first solo album by a female artist to reach Diamond status, meaning it sold more than 10 million copies.  It was the first album by a female artist to win all the top Grammy awards for record, song, and album of the year, along with the Grammy for best pop vocal performance.  And as one of the best-selling albums of all-time, it cemented Carole’s status as one of the most influential singer-songwriters that America has ever seen.  

To date, Carole has written more than 400 compositions that have been recorded by over 1,000 artists, resulting in over 100 hits.  She’s done everything from doo-wop to pop.  She’s played with everyone from Bono to Babyface.   She’s been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  And tonight, she’s still reaching new heights, becoming the first female artist to win the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. ‘   

The music lives within Carole King and it has become her driving force.  Her fans will continue to let the sweet sounds influence their lives.  The entire event was streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov/live.  There will be another chance to see the event at the end of the month.   “Carole King: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize In Performance at the White House” will be broadcast Tuesday, May 28 at 8:00 PM ET on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings).  The program will also be broadcast at a later date via the American Forces Network to American service men and women and civilians at U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world.

Our congratulations go out to Carole King.

PHOTO CREDITS:  CBS News, Associated Press and Getty Images