When I was a teenager growing up in suburban Jackson, rock ’n’ roll was a form of musical rebellion. It was resistance to the adult world (although many of its stars were already 30 or older). It was anti-Establishment music.
It certainly wasn’t something that was played or welcomed at the White House.
Bruce Springsteen released his third (and best) album, “Born to Run,” in 1975. In 1976, Springsteen was beginning to build his adoring fan base thanks to repeated airplay on rock stations such as WZZQ in Jackson. When Springsteen came to Jackson for the first time in 1976, I was among the thousands who went to the Mississippi Coliseum to see what all the fuss was about.
I was impressed but wasn’t sure Springsteen was destined to become an international star. After all, most of the people I knew had never heard of him.
I certainly never imagined that Springsteen would be invited to the White House. But on Tuesday, that’s where he was, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama.
Springsteen was among 21 people who received the nation’s highest civilian honor, including basketball stars Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, actors Robert Redford, Robert De Niro and Tom Hanks, and singer Diana Ross.
Of Springsteen, whose nickname is “The Boss,” Obama said, “I am the president. He is the Boss. ... I thought twice about giving him a Medal of Freedom since he calls himself a prisoner of rock ’n’ roll for years to come.”
Early in his career, Springsteen was often compared to Bob Dylan. Perhaps it was that both seemed prone to mumbling on their records at times. Earlier this year, Dylan picked up the greatest award any singer-songwriter has ever won, the Nobel Prize for literature. That was a first for a musician.
True to form, the publicity-shy Dylan (he often doesn’t speak to the audience during a concert, much less the press) waited several weeks before responding to the Swedish Academy. He said that because of prior commitments, he won’t be in Stockholm in December to pick up his prize along with the other honorees. But he is planning to visit the Swedish capital next year and make his acceptance speech then.
Dylan got a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Before that, he performed for Obama in the White House in 2010. Obama, who says he is a big Dylan fan, described the singer-songwriter’s visit this way:
“Here’s what I love about Dylan: He was exactly as you’d expect he would be. He wouldn’t come to the rehearsal; usually, all these guys are practicing before the set in the evening. He didn’t want to take a picture with me; usually all the talent is dying to take a picture with me and Michelle before the show, but he didn’t show up to that. He came in and played ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’.’ A beautiful rendition. ...
“Finishes the song, steps off the stage — I’m sitting right in the front row — comes up, shakes my hand, sort of tips his head, gives me just a little grin, and then leaves. And that was it — then he left. That was our only interaction with him. And I thought: That’s how you want Bob Dylan, right? You don’t want him to be all cheesin’ and grinnin’ with you. You want him to be a little skeptical about the whole enterprise. So that was a real treat.”
The Rolling Stones have usually avoided overt political statements in their music, although a couple of songs in the 1970s contained mocking references to President Richard Nixon and the Jimmy Carter White House.
Stones frontman Mick Jagger gave a solo performance for Obama at the White House in 2012.
While President-elect Donald Trump was running for office, his campaign played Stones songs at campaign rallies. One of Trump’s favorites was “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
The Stones asked the Donald to cease and desist. Trump’s campaign ignored the British rockers. Legally, there was nothing the Stones could do.
After Trump’s victory speech in the early hours of Nov. 9, guess what was playing when he left the stage? “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
The next day, Jagger tweeted, “Just was watching the news ... maybe they’ll ask me to sing ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ at the inauguration, ha!”
That would be cool but is unlikely after Jagger said of Trump’s victory, “Everyone outside the U.S. is mystified, I’d say. That’s the polite word.”
The Establishment’s embrace of rock ’n’ roll stars shouldn’t surprise anybody. Baby boomers have BEEN the Establishment since Bill Clinton became the first boomer to win the presidency in 1992.
People take their grandchildren to Stones’ concerts now. Dylan plays in Las Vegas casinos. And Springsteen campaigned for Democrats Obama and Hillary Clinton.
How much more Establishment can you get?
• Contact Charles Corder at 581-7241 or ccorder@gwcommonwealth.com.
