Sunday, February 10, 2019–Former First Lady Michelle Obama took a break from her book tour for a quick stop at the 61st annual Grammy Awards.
Brought on stage by this year’s host, Alicia Keys, the former First Wife took the opportunity to introduce the show alongside some of the evening’s biggest stars including Lady Gaga, J. Lo, and Jada Pinkett Smith.
However, before Obama even began speaking, cheers and a standing ovation shook the Staples Center, forcing her to wait on her speech.
“Alright, alright, we got a show to do,” she said in an effort to quiet down the crowd, but the cheers just kept on coming.
Several minutes later, after some cheerful pointing and some more crowd-quieting efforts, Michelle Obama began her speech, a touching reflection on her childhood love of Mo-Town and the importance of music in bringing people together.
“From the Motown records I wore out on the South Side to the ‘Who Run the World’ songs that fueled me through the last decade, music has always helped me tell my story, and I know that’s true for everybody here,” said Obama once the audience calmed down. “Whether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves: Our dignity and sorrows, our hopes and joys.
“It allows us to hear one another, to invite each other in,” she continued. “Music shows us that all of us matters. Every story within every voice, every note within every song. Is that right, ladies?