Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 13, 1993 TAG: 9301120273
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB DART COX NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
INAUGURAL GALA HAS BABY BOOMERS IN MIND
The five-day inaugural billed as the "most diverse in history" is shaping up as a golden oldies revue for Bill Clinton and his fellow baby boomers, who now like their jeans a bit roomier and their rock 'n' roll a tad mellower.Fifties legend Chuck Berry is about the hardest rocker in the musical lineup announced last week for Clinton's Presidential Gala. The '60s and '70s will be recalled through appearances by Aretha Franklin, Judy Collins and Elton John.
The evening's top musical memory will likely be the temporary reunion of Fleetwood Mac. The soft-rock group will sing "Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow)," the unofficial theme song of the Clinton-Gore campaign. Fleetwood Mac - or at least the grouping that recorded the song - has not played together in public since 1980.
There are no rap, grunge or heavy-metal groups scheduled for the Jan. 19 gala, which will be broadcast on CBS-TV. However, Barbra Streisand will sing an extended set of songs.
Clinton is the first president who is a member of the post-World War II generation that has propelled popular culture from the Elvis era through "The Big Chill." This fortysomething crowd will certainly recognize many of the performers in what has been dubbed the Woodstock Inaugural.
Booker T. and the MGs, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Roseanne Cash are among the artists scheduled to appear at other inaugural festivities. The Band, Joe Cocker, and Stephen Stills are rumored to be playing at other events where the performers have not been announced.
The MTV generation won't be completely left in the cold musically by this boomer bash. The rock and rap station is holding its own inaugural ball Jan. 20 to "celebrate all the young people who turned out and voted this year," MTV spokeswoman Tina Exarhos said.
The list of performers for the MTV ball has not been announced, but Exarhos said they will be artists who appear on MTV.
Inaugural officials revealed the talent lineup for the Presidential Gala.
"The evening will be a compelling celebration of jazz, rock and roll, blues, classical, popular and big band music," said Rahm Emanuel, co-director of the committee. "We will combine this music with dance, drama, comedy and video presentations."
The gala will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Capital Centre in suburban Landover, Md., and broadcast on WDBJ (Channel 7) from 9 to 11 p.m. that same night. The Clintons and the Gores plan to attend, and the performances should prompt memories from both couples.
Chelsea Clinton's name was inspired by Judy Collins' recording of the song "Chelsea Morning." At the gala, Collins will perform the hymn "Amazing Grace" with the Philander Smith College Choir of Little Rock, Ark.
Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" closed the Democratic National Convention last summer, playing while Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore danced on stage.
Barbra Streisand and Aretha Franklin both performed at Clinton-Gore fund-raisers during the presidential campaign.
At the gala, Franklin will sing "A Whole New World" from the movie "Aladdin" with the Eastern High School Choir of Washington, D.C. Streisand will sing several songs, including her version of "God Bless America."
Bill Cosby will introduce an all-star jazz band featuring Thelonious Monk Jr. on drums, Herbie Hancock on piano, Wynton Marsalis and Clark Terry on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone and Ron Carter on bass. Saxophonists will be Grover Washington, Illinois Jacquet and Wayne Shorter.
Jack Lemmon and James Earl Jones will recite the "inspirational words" of famous Americans, including Thomas Jefferson and John F. Kennedy.
The Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe will perform.
A childhood friend of Clinton, Randy Goodrum, who composed "Circle of Friends" for the Democratic National Convention, has written the official inaugural song - "Reunion" - which will premier at the gala.
Reggie Jackson, the 12-year-old who sang "America the Beautiful" at the Democratic Convention, will also perform, as will the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club and opera singer and Little Rock native Barbara Hendricks.
Tickets to the gala, which range from $100 to $1,000, are by invitation only. Revenues from the event will help fund the inaugural festivities.
Many of the same artists will perform at the American Gala on Jan. 18, the previous evening. Free tickets were distributed to the public for this event, which organizers said will be sort of dress rehearsal of the televised gala.