Politicians: Sing when you're winning... or not
Thursday 23 February 2012
Latest in World Politics
On Facebook
From the blogs
Manchester City top the ‘injury league’, with Manchester United bottom
The results of new research into every significant injury suffered by every Premier League footballe...
A Jubilee letter from a republican to royalists
With the Jubilee weekend edging ever nearer Rob Williams offers some help for those Royalists who ju...
Asylum seekers: When the questions tell us so much more than the answers
For the last four years I've been paying my karmic dues (I would say "contributing to the big societ...
GCSEs are a pointless waste of time
A few facts. Last year almost 70% of 16 year olds achieved at least 5 GCSE passes with grades A*-C. ...
Who knew Barack Obama could be a one-man stimulus package for a beleaguered music industry? When the US President belted out a couple of lines of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" at a fundraiser last month, sales of the track soared by almost 500 per cent. Now the blues classic "Sweet Home Chicago" can expect a boost after Obama confirmed his singing chops with an impromptu performance at the White House.
The First Lungs appeared to shrink with shyness after a starry blues night on Tuesday. Obama was thanking his guests, who included BB King, Buddy Guy and Mick Jagger, when Guy requested a presidential encore. Obama shook his head but when Jagger thrust forth a microphone, Barry O took it and piped up with: "Come on, baby don't you want to go... Sweet Home Chicago."
And he was good, arguably rising to the head of the unofficial World Leader Music Hall of Fame. Canadian PM Stephen Harper is a mean pianist, Vladimir Putin surprised guests at a gala in 2010 with a rendition of Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill". And Bill Clinton would find any excuse to whip out his saxophone. US politics watchers will wonder, however, if Obama is concerned with more immediate competition.
Days after his Al Green turn, his would-be presidential rival, Mitt Romney, sang two verses of "America the Beautiful" at a campaign rally. If Romney's tone was an indication of his chances of polls victory, it's he who'll be singing the blues after the presidential election in November.
- 1 Brazil rocked by abortion for 9-year-old rape victim
- 2 News in pictures
- 3 Four Britons face death by firing squad after 'smuggling cocaine into Bali'
- 4 The 'suburban smuggler' facing death penalty in Indonesia
- 5 Vatileaks: Hunt is on to find Vatican moles
- 6 In pictures: The bewildering face of China
- 7 Help me decide future of press, Leveson asks Blair
- 8 Osborne's got it wrong on the economy, warns public
- 9 British housewife could face death penalty over Bali cocaine smuggling
- 10 Hague sent packing by Russia as Annan peace plan crumbles
- 1 Robert Fisk: Clinton's $33m raid on Pakistan shows that, in the end, hypocrisy will win
- 2 Brazil rocked by abortion for 9-year-old rape victim
- 3 Robert Fisk: The West is horrified by children's slaughter now. Soon we'll forget
- 4 Richard Benyon: The bird-brained minister
- 5 Sex in dressing rooms and Play School presenters 'stoned out of their minds' - inside BBC Television Centre
- 6 Fat? Really? Olympic hope laughs off official’s jibe – but others aren’t amused
- 7 'Hello mum, this is going to be hard for you to read ...'
- 8 Alien: The monster returns?
- 9 Coke reveals its secret: It may need to carry a cancer warning
- 10 French in uproar over oral sex anti-smoking posters
Experience the Heineken Hub
Get free wi-fi and exclusive i content while you enjoy a tasty pint of Heineken at participating pubs.
Can you imagine a career in teaching?
Be inspired to teach - let real teachers show you how rewarding the job can be.
Playing a game-changing role during the Games
Cisco is providing the solutions for London 2012's complex IT needs.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Career Services
Day In a Page



Comments