WASHINGTON, February 22, 2012 (AFP) - Mick Jagger delivered some bluesy rock to the White House Tuesday with a celebration of blues that brought out US music legends like B.B. King and Buddy Guy.
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UNITED STATES, Washington : Gary Clark (L), B.B. King (C), Buddy Guy (2nd R) and Warrne Haynes (R) play during a celebration of Blues music and in recognition of Black History Month as part of their “In Performance at the White House” series in Washington, DC, February 21, 2012.
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In a black suit and scarlet shirt, The Rolling Stones frontman, 68, rocked the East Room of the US presidential mansion at the "Red, White and Blues" event, singing "I Can't Turn You Loose."
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama smiled and got their groove on without even leaving home.
As president "some nights when you want to go out and just take a walk, clear your head, or jump into a car just to take a drive, you can't do it. Secret Service won't let you. And that's frustrating," Obama said.
"But then there are other nights where B.B. King and Mick Jagger come over to your house to play for a concert. So I guess things even out a little bit," he joked.
Jagger also let loose "Commit a Crime" with fellow British rocker Jeff Beck.
"We met everyone who was recording here, I just was remembering how generous they were to us. They must have thought that we were from Mars or something," Jagger joked. "They were very generous and passed all the tips."
Obama said that the blues remained a popular and powerful genre.
"This music speaks to something universal. No one goes through life without both joy and pain, triumph and sorrow, the blues gets all of that, sometimes with just a lyric or just one note," Obama said.
"As we celebrate black history month, the blues reminds us that we've been through tougher times before."
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