New Exhibit Shows Clinton's Favorite Music
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Saxophones were an informal trademark for America's first rock 'n' roll president, but a new exhibit at Bill Clinton's (search) library shows a much broader range of musical connections, from Bono to B.B. King, even from an Eritrean lute to a Czech recorder.
Beginning Saturday, visitors at the Clinton Presidential Library (search) will get to see a reproduction of parts of a White House music room built for Clinton, samples from his eclectic CD collection and video of him playing in the Arkansas All-State Band as a teenager.
The Clinton Library is closing in on its first-year goal of 300,000 visitors in just over six months. During a preview tour of the "World of Music" exhibit Thursday, library director David Alsobrook said it's important to keep things fresh with rotating exhibits.
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Musical memorabilia in the new exhibit include a recorder Clinton received from former Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel and a kerar, a lute-like instrument, presented by the people of Eritrea. Presidential guests often gave Clinton saxophones, a handful of which are part of the library's permanent exhibit.
Kaki Hockersmith of Little Rock, who redesigned the Oval Office for Clinton, put together the White House music room as a surprise Christmas present from wife Hillary.
The design tied in the neoclassical White House architecture with a charcoal leather music studio look that Hockersmith called "real jazzy and masculine."
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The show offers a feast of memorabilia for music lovers, including Bono's handwritten lyrics to "The Hands That Built America," a song the politically active rocker sang at the library's dedication in November. The exhibit also includes a larger-than-life painting of King and one of his "Lucille" guitars.
A whole wall is dedicated to Clinton's childhood idol, Elvis Presley, and includes stamps from the African nation of Chad depicting an imaginary jam session featuring Elvis and a saxophone-toting Clinton.
A Beatles album cover signed by each of the Fab Four was donated by the late George Harrison's sister, Louise.
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The "World of Music" exhibit at Clinton's museum and library archives runs through Dec. 31.