First Lady Michelle Obama speaks during a student workshop event, ‘The Sound of Young America: The History of Motown,’ that brings students from across the country to participate in an event with Motown legends in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, February 24. Seated alongside Obama are (L-R): Singer John Legend, singer Smokey Robinson, record producer Berry Gordy and Robert Santelli, the GRAMMY Museums Executive Director.
‘The Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House’ is live on the White House site (here) tonight, 7:00 PM EST
Barry Manilow. Oh, wait, sorry – Nick Jonas.
Any excuse to post this …. all together:
And for sherijr….hey, I feel like a DJ!
And, of course:
The Obama Diary 
FLOTUS is beautiful as usual.
ohhh S M O K E Y… Tears of clownnnn when noones arounddddd. Still love Mr. Robinson.. and yes Marvin Gaye too- nice title Chipsticks 😉
And John Legend… smooth and beautiful.
This is my music~
ok sherijr, don’t get me out of my seat. LOL!
Ohh we’re going to have some fun tonight Tulips!
😆 You have a beeeeeeeeeeeeautiful voice, Sherijr!!!
lol.. yeah I’m a regular Diana Ross.. NOT. Can’t carry a tune to save my life- but I love to sing.. its a sad story 😉
Ha, that makes two of us – my ‘singing’ sounds like the air coming out of a tyre 😳
I bet my voice would make the both of yours sound like sweet birds. Does not stop me…..at least not in the confines of my own home….I do respect the ears of others in public spaces.
Dancing is even more implusive for me….I can not sit still in the presence of music. It should embarrass me, but it doesn’t, it is one of the few things I have never felt self conscious about.
sherijr we must be sisters of a different mother, when I sing to my music my family just gets up and leave the room shaking their head.
omg is this going to be broadcast for us to watch too tonight?? oh yeah.. please??
Thank you so much for the info.. I actually thought I’d have to wait to see it at a later date via video or something as I don’t have cable. Very nice.
Yes!!!!!! 😆
thank you! 🙂
good grief Nick Jonah! 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄
nice to see Mrs O and John;Mr Gordy and Robinson 😀
Love Michelle’s dress. This is some of my very favorite music. Love Smokey. I notice Sheryl Crow is also on the agenda. I don’t really think of her as a Motown singer but as much as she has been involved I know she is an Obama supporter.
I miss Marvin Gaye. Love the groups of the past..Temptations.(I heard them in person when they were older) It was at a conference and another woman and I ran up to the first row acting like school girls. 😆
I have a tape of the origianl Motown singers which I got from PBS.
I asked a question in the other thread but see that you have answered it here. Thanks Chipsticks.
I fell in love with Marvin Gaye over the radio…..I Heard It Through The Grapevine……I still love him, and am saddened that his life was cut needlessly and unnaturally short.
Got To Give It Up/A Funky Space Reincarnation…no way can I sit through that.
Love that song too, Sue, but ‘What’s Going on’ will forever be the song that inspires me – every time I hear it is like the first time, shivers down my spine.
And still relevant today…..only love can conquer hate. The work continues……. thanks Chipsticks for keeping us moving in the right direction.
I found this list of the ‘Greatest Motown Songs’ at http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_songs-motown.html
Pick your most loved!
1. I Heard It Through The Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
2. My Girl – Temptations
3. Reach Out I’ll Be There – Four Tops
4. Where Did Our Love Go? – Supremes
5. What’s Goin’ On? – Marvin Gaye
6. Dancing in the Street – Martha & The Vandellas
7. I Want You Back – Jackson 5
8. Superstition – Stevie Wonder
9. Please Mr. Postman – Marvelettes
10. My Guy – Mary Wells
11. (Love Is Like a) Heat Wave – Martha & The Vandellas
12. Do You Love Me? – Contours
13. Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye
14. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
15. The Tracks of My Tears – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
16. Shotgun – Jr. Walker & The All Stars
17. I’ll Be There – Jackson 5
18. Baby Love – Supremes
19. Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone – Temptations
20. Uptight (Everything’s Alright) – Stevie Wonder
21. I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) – Four Tops
22. The Tears of a Clown – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
23. Stop! In the Name of Love – Supremes
24. You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me – Miracles
25. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) – Temptations
26. Baby I Need Your Lovin’ – Four Tops
27. You Are the Sunshine of My Life – Stevie Wonder
28. Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
29. Money (That’s What I Want) – Barrett Strong
30. Leavin’ Here – Eddie Holland
31. Shop Around – Miracles
32. You Keep Me Hangin’ On – Supremes
33. You Can’t Hurry Love – Supremes
34. Endless Love – Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
35. Signed, Sealed, Delivered – Stevie Wonder
36. Ooo Baby Baby – Miracles
37. Nowhere To Run – Martha & The Vandellas
38. It Takes Two – Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston
39. War – Edwin Starr
40. I Second That Emotion – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
41. Super Freak Part I – Rick James
42. Living For the City – Stevie Wonder
43. I Heard It Through the Grapevine – Gladys Knight & The Pips
44. Higher Ground – Stevie Wonder
45. Ain’t Too Proud To Beg – Temptations
46. I Can’t Get Next To You – Temptations
47. Cloud Nine – Temptations
48. Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today) – Temptations
49. Smiling Faces Sometimes – Undisputed Truth
50. This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You) – Isley Brothers
Oh man, I am not kidding- THAT IS MY STUFF!! Awesome list Chipsticks, thanks for posting this~ Now I’m singing… and dancing… WAR! HUH! What izzz it good for?? A b s o l u t e l y Nuthin’…! thats number 39 by the way 😉
You’re cracking me up Sherijr 😆
:):)
Hey everyone, looking forward to watching. Thank you so much Chipstick, for all that you do, to make this blog so Interesting, entertaining, and relaxing. The old songs that you listed, brings back memories of my young and fly days. I was In my twenties and thirties. Lean, tender, no bulges, no sags, and had It going on. I wore the “APOLLO” Theater out, In my New York days, when those songs were popular. I live In “Rest Palm Beach”, as my Sons call It. Lol, heyy but I’m alive, and can put one foot ahead of the other. 🙂 Okey dokey, let me go, I was getting lost down memory lane :-). I must admit, that It puts a smile on my face :-). Thanks again Chipsticks:-)
“I was In my twenties and thirties. Lean, tender, no bulges, no sags, and had It going on.”
😆 Ha, I bet you still have it going on Shirley!
What amazing memories you must have, what incredible music to grow up to. Hope you enjoy the show tonight, get your dancing shoes on 😉
Oh yes Chipsticks, I really did enjoy every moment. Thank you so much, you’re on the ball Chips 🙂 Lol, glad you think I still got It going on, hehehe
Your memories have put an even bigger smile on my face Shirley- the Apollo. Wow.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh have so much school work to do tonight but hey I locked on strong too….multi-tasking lol
They are on!
Oh hell ya! Outstanding opening.. love your additions to this post too Chip.. very nice. Jamie Fox is adorable isn’t he..?? 🙂
I looooooooooooooooove Jamie!!! He was hilarious 😆
President Obama is the essence of cool. Earlier today he was speaking with such ease and command at his first Council on Jobs and Competitiveness meeting. Tonight he kicks off The Motown Sound concert with style and and grace. The man is remarkable.
These songs brought back the memories. I remember when they all came out, and I remember dancing like a fool back in the day when I was a lean mean dancing machine and could really shake what my mama gave me!!! I notice that the president was trying to do the Bump at the end of the lastd video. That was a very popular dance among my group in college in the 1970s. He’s much too young to know about the Bump, so he must have been hanging with some people my age! LOL.
Chipsticks, thanks for the memories, darling.
^^^last^^^
Omg Sheryl might make me cry.. she sounds so like Michael when he was a kid.. I was mad crazy inlove with Michael when I was 12 (he was 11)..
Dear Chipsticks.. I didn’t even realize you’d posted Smokey for me.. thank you thank you.. god he was good 😉
Does anyone remember these dances?
The Bustop
The Strolll
The West Coast
The Twist
Twist and Shout
The Hustle
Calipso
Mash Potato
The Swim
Hand Jive
The Watusi
The Limbo
My granddaughter was home at Christmas and was doing the Hand Jive. She asked me is I knew it and I said yes. She asked if we had a lot of different dances with special movements? She said that all they do now is just get up on the dancefloor and move around and thought it was Neat that we had so many different dances. I’v danced to all of these listed. It was always so much fun. 😆
I love all the songs on that list, Chipsticks.
To be able to go to the Apollo…..wow Shirley now neat.
Saw BB King in person at an free Friday nite outdoor concert and danced to “Stand by Me” I love that song.
Roy Orbinson In Dreams
There are so many I love and miss. You just, or maybe I should say I, don’t hear songs like that anymore.
OMG, the stage shows at the Royal theatre on Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore City. I saw them all, Little Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Gladys Knight and the Pips, James Brown, Red Fox, Odells, and I could go on so many talented stars. I spent all my babysitting money on 45’s of my favorites. I remember my first LP’s The Supremes, some really good memories from some really good music.