Political campaigns for president are progressively taking on the characteristics of musical concerts.
Both current and prospective presidents have seen performances by some of the most talented Black musicians and performers in American history.
The majority of these celebrities will be attending political rallies in support of a specific candidate as the election approaches.
We look back at some of the Black performers who have supported presidential candidates, just as Kamala Harris started it off with Beyonce’s Freedom and having Megan Thee Stallion perform at her latest rally.
Ray Charles
Ray Charles attended the Ronald Reagan 50th Presidential Inauguration Ball in 1985 and performed “America the Beautiful.”
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Stevie Wonder
Barack Obama attracted many renowned black performers to his first campaign stop. Stevie Wonder was one of them.
He made his stage debut in April to honor the 2007 Los Angeles riots at a church. He went on to play several Obama rallies in 2012.
Jay-Z
Obama asked Hov to help boost support in 2012 during a campaign rally in Columbus, Ohio. In his well-known rendition of 99 Problems, he altered the lyrics to read, “I got 99 Problems, but Mitt ain’t one!”
Mary J. Blige
Thousands of Democrats enjoyed the sweet vocals of Mary J. Blige during the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
John Legend
It seems only fitting that John Legend was chosen to sing for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ inauguration in 2021, given how soulful his voice is.
Common
Common and John Legend collaborated to perform their Grammy-winning album, Glory, at the 2020 virtual Democratic National Convention.
Jennifer Hudson
At the virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention, Jennifer Hudson also stole the show with a performance of “A Change is Gonna Come.”
Beyoncé
Beyoncé has given several performances for the Obama family but her 2013 Presidential Inauguration Ceremony performance might have been her most memorable.
Will.I.Am
At the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Will.I.Am. and John Legend collaborated on the song Yes, We Can.
Alicia Keys
At the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Alicia Keys took the stage to perform Superwoman, which made sense given that Hillary Clinton was running to be the first female president.
Andra Day
Rise Up was also performed by Grammy-winning musician André Day at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Lenny Kravitz
In 2016, legendary performer Lenny Kravitz performed for Barack Obama’s political campaigns on the DNC stage.
Usher
R&B icon Usher honored Ray Charles by performing the hit song Georgia on My Mind in front of the Obamas and a small, private audience at the White House.
Chrisette Michele
In 2017, Chrisette Michele performed for President Donald Trump at his Inaugural Ball.
