Wish-I-was-there history for the day: Dave Brubeck at the White House
Dave Brubeck and George Wein (founder of the Newport Jazz Festival) at the piano performing for Duke Ellington’s 70th birthday at the White House. A U.S. Marine Band member plays bass in the foreground.
At the party, Duke Ellington was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Richard Nixon in the East Room. It was the first of Nixon’s Presidency.
Other guests included John B. “Dizzy” Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Mahalia Jackson, and Lou Rawls. You can see the complete list of attendees and performers in President Nixon’s Daily Diary from April 29, 1969.
More photos honoring Dave Brubeck and other jazz legends from the Nixon Library here
The 2012 White House Correspondents Dinner will happen on Saturday. Jimmy Kimmel will host the event, and Lindsay Lohan is reportedly attending.
In 1962, the star line-up included actors Elliot Reid, Peter Sellers, and jazz musician Benny Goodman. Here they are arriving at the airport for the Dinner, with an unidentified man. 4/27/62
-from the JFK Library
Source: jfklibrary.org
