Ray Charles Concert at the White House
In Performance at the White House” has been produced by WETA since 1978 and spans every administration since President Carter’s. The series began with an East Room recital by the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz. Since then, “In Performance at the White House” has embraced virtually every genre of American performance: pop, country, gospel, jazz, theatre and dance among them.
The series was created to showcase the rich fabric of American culture in the setting of the nation’s most famous home. Past programs have showcased such talent as cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, dancer/choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov, the United States Marine Band, soul and jazz singers Natalie Cole and Anita Baker, leading Broadway performers, and the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
“Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House” ProductionThe television program “Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House” is a production of WETA Washington, D.C.; The Grammy Museum; TV One; CoMedia; Mark Krantz Productions; Cappy Productions; and Black and White TV Inc. Executive producers are Dalton Delan, Cappy McGarr, Robert Santelli, Valerie Ervin, Rickey Minor, Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky and Mark Krantz.
The supervising producer is Michael B. Matuza. Robert Santelli is executive director of the GRAMMY Museum®. Geovanni Brewer is producer for Black and White TV. The director is Linda Mendoza. The executive music director is Rickey Minor.
The series producer is Jackson Frost. The “In Performance at the White House” series was created by WETA Washington, D.C. Funding for this program is provided by PepsiCo; the Kovler Foundation; Tracy Richelle High and Roman Johnson; Mrs. Oluwatoyin Ojora Saraki, The Wellbeing Foundation Africa; Karen and Sam Seymour; and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Air travel is generously provided by American Airlines.