Grammy-winning country singer-songwriter Brad Paisley is set to perform Thursday night (May 23) at the White House State Dinner, as President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden welcome Kenya President William Ruto and first lady Rachel Ruto.
Additional entertainers for the evening will include the Howard Gospel Choir, as well as “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band Chamber Orchestra, in addition to the United States Army and Air Force Strings.
According to the first lady’s office, the selections of Paisley and the Howard Gospel Choir are nods to their guests’ love of country and gospel music. This marks the sixth State Dinner of the Biden-Harris Administration. Previous White House State Dinners hosted by the Bidens have included performers Jon Batiste, Paul Simon and Joshua Bell.
Paisley performed at the White House last year, as part of a National Governors Association event, and joined Jill Biden at a COVID-19 vaccination site in Nashville in 2021. Paisley first performed at the White House in 2009, when he took part in a music series during the Obama administration.
For this week’s State Dinner, Dr. Jill Biden worked with White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford and White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison to develop the menu for the State Dinner, which will include fruitwood-smoked beef short ribs, butter-poached lobster, chilled heirloom tomato soup, and banana ganache among the offerings.
In 2023, Paisley released his Son of the Mountains album, which included “The Medicine Will,” “So Many Summers” and “Same Here,” featuring Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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