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Bob Dylan to Perform at White House for First Time

Bob DylanLegendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is set to perform at the White House for the first time. As part of 'In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement,' Dylan, Natalie Cole, John Mellencamp and Smokey Robinson will perform songs from the Civil Rights era.

Hosted by President Barack Obama and his family, the show will take place in the White House East Room and will air on Feb. 11 at 8PM ET on PBS stations nationwide. Other performers include Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Seal, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Howard University Choir.

Known for songs like 'Blowin' in the Wind' and 'The Times They Are a-Changin,' he was seen as a powerful musical force during the civil rights movement in the '60s. While this is Dylan's first time performing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it isn't his first time there. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton presented Dylan with a Kennedy Center Honor there in December 1997.

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greg

most people dont know who Dylan really is...he is a songwriter who has caused as much change in this world for the better as MLK Jr. or JFK...or Malcom X...yet he still tours almost daily at times and at the age of 65 or more. Dylan knows when he wants to sing where people can understand him and theres times when I think he don't give a damn...hes been singing these same songs for 45 years...he thinks folks should automatically know the words...and the fans that matter do know the words...Hes Bob Dylan...people want to see him for Who he is not How he sounds...he sounds terrible...but he's Bob Dylan period.

January 27 2010 at 11:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Netsky

I don't think this President has done anything worthwhile except travel on the American dime while everyone else is struggling to pay their bills. Add to this Nancy Pelosi taking us to the cleaners as well and you have an arrogant bunch.

Parties at the White House? Why not use that money to get small businesses going to help unemployment. Then we can all party!

January 27 2010 at 12:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Louie

What are the chances Obamanation will even understand what Dylan will be singing? Have you heard him recently? I'm not sure even he knows what he's singing.

January 27 2010 at 11:21 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
bjg0102

Jim I bet you are hoping that this time around it will be a white man....

January 27 2010 at 10:22 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
bjg0102

Please explain why you do not like President Obama. His policies are not that different from George Bush's policies. His foreign policy is the exact same. He did his surge of troops in Afghanistan as Bush did his surge in Iraq. So what is there for you to dislike. Bush was the one that initiated the bank bailouts and Obama voted in favor of them. his military budget is even bigger than Bush's maybe that is what u don't like.

January 27 2010 at 10:20 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ron

So I guess the globe trotting O"Bummas are taking a break from their monthly vacation habit. I'll bet this little private concert will cost the tax payers several million dollar$. He should concentrate more on his job instead of all the free entertainment he can squeeze out of his only term as a so called president. When he is done we can actuallu say Carter isn't the worse president we had. Oh by the way,better call up the spare babysitter because Grandma isn't going to want to miss this freeby either. This First Family is nothing but a joke!

January 27 2010 at 9:44 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Desert Girl

Love Bob Dylan. "Slow Train Running" never leaves my CD player...and hasn't since the mid 70's. (But back then it was my record player)

January 27 2010 at 9:44 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
rmartin

When is the president going to walk the talk ? Spending money on white house entertainment should not exist till we get things back on track ! This country is going downhill faster than ever. Watch the SPIN he puts on everything tonight in his "State of the Union " speech tonight !

January 27 2010 at 9:40 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
JD


It's just this reliving the 60's crap, a vote for Obama is a vote for the black struggle, trying to instill white guilt complex in the young whites, because, quite frankly, they know he lied to them when he campaigned two years ago, squeeze one more vote out of the kids in 2012. When black firefighters were promoted over whites in CT in 2003, because, according to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the test was discriminitory against the blacks because they couldn't read it, that's when the civil rights movement officially ended.

January 27 2010 at 9:29 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
MrDoughnut

"YO" will be on the front lines after the draft for WWIII.

January 27 2010 at 9:27 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply