President Obama's Remarks from MEMPHIS SOUL Concert at White House

Legendary Soul Man Sam Moore performed at the White House to celebrate the timeless classics of "Memphis Soul" as part of the Emmy Award-Nominated PBS Music Special IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE Series tonight, April 9, 2013.

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama hosted the all-star concert, which included performances by Sam Moore, William Bell, Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, Ben Harper, Queen Latifah, Cyndi Lauper, Joshua Ledet, Charlie Musselwhite, Alabama Shakes, Mavis Staples and Justin Timberlake, along with Booker T. Jones as music director and band leader.

The program will premiere on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at 8:00 p.m. EDT on PBS stations nationwide.

President Obama's remarks from the evening follow:

"THE PRESIDENT: Everybody, please have a seat. And give it up for our musical director, Booker T. -- (applause) -- and the Memphis Soul All-Stars. (Applause.) I just want everybody to know that it is now my second term, so rather than "Hail to the Chief," we're going with that from here on out. (Laughter and applause.) Little change in tradition.

Now, before we get started, I am going to exercise some presidential prerogative to say a few words about two very special people who are here tonight -- this will humiliate them, but I'm going to go ahead and do it anyway. Jess Wright and Kenny Thompson both work on my staff -- crucial members of my team since way back in Iowa in 2007.

Over the weekend, Kenny popped the question and Jess said yes. (Applause.) So I want to congratulate -- publicly -- Kenny Thompson and Jess Wright. A beautiful couple. (Applause.) We love them. They are wonderful. They've been loyal, shown such great friendship to me, and I'm so glad that they have gone ahead and taken the plunge.

By the way, guys, Justin Timberlake just got married to this lovely young lady right here, Jessica Biel. (Applause.) So Justin can probably offer you a few pointers. And, Justin, they are looking for a wedding singer. (Laughter.) I'm just saying.

Tonight, I am speaking not just as a President, but as one of America's best-known Al Green impersonators. (Laughter.) So I have a new appreciation for what Al once said about the Memphis Soul sound that he helped create -- "We don't even know ourselves how that music has endured for so long and how that came out of us."

All I know is I've been looking forward to tonight because, let's face it, who does not love this music? (Applause.) These songs get us on the dance floor. Even the governor of Tennessee said he's going to dance tonight. (Laughter.) They get stuck in our heads. We go back over them again and again. And they've played an important part in our history.

In the sixties and seventies, Memphis knew its share of division and discord and injustice. But in that turbulent time, the sound of Hi, and Duke, and Sun, and Stax Records tried to bridge those divides -- to create a little harmony with harmony. The great Memphis musician Don Nix went to an all-white school, and he described what it was like. He said, "If you could imagine, nobody's ever heard R&B music before. White kids had never heard it. And you can imagine what that did to us."

So he and others kept playing music that everybody could get into. They created a whole new sound, and as they did, they broke down barriers. On McLemore Avenue, in the heart of a segregated city, Stax Records was integrated from the studio musicians all the way to upper management. Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper, who are both here tonight, helped form one of the city's first integrated bands. They weren't allowed to go to school together. They weren't always allowed to travel or eat together. But no one could stop them from playing music together.

And that was the spirit of their music -- the sound of Soulsville, U.S.A., a music that, at its core, is about the pain of being alone, the power of human connection, and the importance of treating each other right. After all, this is the music that asked us to try a little tenderness. It's the music that put Mr. Big Stuff in his place. (Laughter.) And it's the music that challenged us to accept new ways of thinking with four timeless words: "Can you dig it?" (Laughter.)

So it's really no surprise that Memphis Soul swept the nation, and it has stood the test of time. And tonight, we bring it to the White House.

We've got folks here who were there at the beginning, legends like Mavis Staples, Charlie Musselwhite, William Bell, and Eddie Floyd. We've got artists like Cyndi Lauper, and Ben Harper, and Queen Latifah, who still turn to Memphis for inspiration. We've got Justin Timberlake, a proud son of Memphis who's never forgotten his roots, and the Alabama Shakes, who are bringing the Muscle Shoals sound to a new generation.

So to all of you, even more than for the music you've created, I want to say a special thank you for the difference that you've made in our lives. More than half a century after Soulsville, U.S.A. first opened its doors, you still bring us together. You still remind us how much we have in common. You still help us imagine a better place. And you promise, through your beautiful music, that you can take us there.

So tonight, we're going to start things off with two extraordinary artists who span the generations -- one is a Memphis legend who's been around just about forever, the other an American Idol who's turning 21 today. In the heyday of soul music, no band had more hits than the group known simply as "Sam and Dave." Here to perform his classic "Soul Man" along with Joshua Ledet, please welcome the great Sam Moore. (Applause.)"

This performance marked Moore's second invitation to appear at the White House for a sitting president. With this concert, Moore will have performed for all five of the living Presidents of the United States Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

An American Southern soul and R&B legend, Moore found early success as part of the historic Memphis Soul duo Sam & Dave. With their rapid-fire style, pioneered by Moore, and hit songs such as "Soul Man," the duo inspired The Blues Brothers personas and movie. Moore has continued to tour as a solo artist, earning critical acclaim for his work, including a GRAMMY Award, Pioneer Award from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, among many other honors.

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