- Fri Mar 07, 2014 12:14 pm
#38027
During this week's "Soul Concert" at the White House Barack Obama had a spelling blunder Thursday while praising Aretha Franklin. Obama misspelled “respect” while lauding the “Queen of Soul” before a White House concert featuring several musical legends.
“When Aretha first told us what R-S-P-E-C-T meant to her,” Obama said, before the audience in the East Room erupted into laughter. He then continued, “”She had no idea it would become a rallying cry for African-Americans, and women, and then everyone who felt marginalized because of what they looked like or who they loved.
First up in the East Room lineup was Patti LaBelle, with a thundering delivery of “Over the Rainbow” that had the audience on its feet. The emotional high point came when Franklin, 71, sauntered in, gave a shimmy and declared “Let’s have a party.”
Other singers include Melissa Etheridge, Janelle Monae, Jill Scott and Tessanne Chin –The concert was livestreamed at WhiteHouse.gov so that all Americans could join in the celebrations hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. Over 400 special invited guests rocked the White House until late in the evening.
