Obama's Chicago Soul: President's Ideals Tie Him To City's Music Legends

President-elect Barack Obama paid homage to Chicago soul in his Grant Park acceptance speech. He riffed on Wendell Phillips High graduate Sam Cooke by saying, "It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, at this defining moment, change has come to America."

This clearly expands on Cooke's 1963 hit "A Change Is Gonna Come."

But connect the dots.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[patianneb]

NO Mavis Staples? Something very very important will be missing from the inauguration without her. She has earned the honor a thousand times over as a voice for freedom and dignity for us all.....

shame on them.

[boogiewoman]

I'm sure the funk of the 70"s is always on Obamas I-Pod. We want the that funk.

[mypov123]

Gotta have the funk!

[jackson1015]

Sorry, that's George Clinton. And I think I read somewhere that he will be performing for Obama, so...fingers crossed.

[GAPeach99]

I can't stop grinning at the thought!

[jackson1015]

My vote goes with "One Nation Under a Groove" too. I always thought that Bill Clinton should have had Geore Clinton & the Parliament-Funkadelic perform that at his inauguration...that was a missed opportunity! And I heard Mavis Staples interviewed on a radio program a few weeks ago and she was saying she was hurt that she hadn't been asked to sing at Obama's inauguration. You can't mention Chicago music without mentioning Mavis and the Staples Singers, so hopefully she'll be at one of the balls belting out "I'll Take You There."

Gotta have Mavis :)

[GAPeach99]

That other stuff is nice, but all I want to hear on Inauguration Day is "One Nation Under A Groove" and I'm set for life!

[Thefamilyvan]

Chicago is the home of soul, classic R&B, Blues and House music whether they are your choice of music or not. But, Sen. Obama has his soul in Chicago and no one can doubt that. He embodies the music and soul and hope of the city and its African American population. He's well-grounded as many native Midwesterners are and I think we should all be happy about that.

[RockySoldier]

That's one of the best songs ever recorded. Sam Cooke is a legend.

[vjoseph]

Excuse me, but some of that music tribute to Chicago should include some HOUSE MUSIC. Seriously, you cannot be the birthplace of house music and not have some representation throughout the inauguration, its freaking criminal

[PippiLongstocking]

Preach!

[vjoseph]

LOL

[RockySoldier]

House music makes me want to gouge my eyeballs out with a rusty spoon.

[vjoseph]

OH NO YOU DIDN'T!!! I know a lot of tough house music dj in Chicago who might beat your a s s.

[trebo12]

Agreed. Can't leave out steppin' music either. How cool it would be if Barack and Michelle 'stepped' during their first dance together. Some 'Thoughts And Wishes Of You' by Bohannon would be so appropriate.

[vjoseph]

Yep, that would be fun too. I am tired of seeing hip hop get the recognition when there are much better music out there

[PippiLongstocking]

Stepping? Now you're getting me excited.

[eden4barack08]

That would be "Electric". Hehe.