"Jimmy Carter 100" concert celebrates former president's 100th birthday

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Grandsons of Carter, JFK talk astatine DNC

Grandsons of Jimmy Carter, John F. Kennedy talk astatine DNC 04:17

A scope of stars from the stage, surface and athletics paid tribute Tuesday to erstwhile President Jimmy Carter up of his 100th birthday, the eclectic lineup meant to item the 39th president's accent connected quality rights and his emotion of euphony arsenic a cosmopolitan language.

"Everyone present is making history," Jason Carter, the erstwhile president's grandson, told much than 4,000 radical who filled Atlanta's Fox Theatre to toast the longest-lived U.S. enforcement successful history. "This is the archetypal clip radical person travel unneurotic to observe the 100th day of an American president."

The payment concert, with summons income backing planetary programs of The Carter Center that Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter founded successful 1982 aft leaving the White House, brought unneurotic artists that crossed generations and genres that traced backmost to his 1976 campaign. The performance volition beryllium aired successful afloat connected Georgia Public Broadcasting connected Oct. 1, Carter's birthday.

Carter remains successful hospice attraction astatine his location successful Plains, Georgia. Rosalynn Carter died successful November 2023 astatine the property of 96. The brace had been joined 77 years.

"He truly was the rock-and-roll president," said Chuck Leavell, whose Georgia-based Allman Brothers Band campaigned with Carter successful 1976. But much than that, Leavell said, Carter ever understood euphony arsenic thing "that brings radical together."

Indeed, Tuesday's tally of amusement assembled artists arsenic varied arsenic India Arie singing R&B and psyche draped successful a resplendent purple gown; the B-52s, formed successful Athens, Georgia, singing "Love Shack" and projecting psychedelic imagery crossed the performance hall; and the Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus bringing a classical and patriotic repertoire.

Former President Barack Obama, known for releasing his summertime playlists connected societal media, marveled astatine the range.

"Now I person different crushed to respect you," Obama said successful a video message. "He has got large sensation successful music. ... I've ne'er thrown a performance that features pop, rock, gospel, country, jazz, classical and hip-hop."

Of course, Obama noted, "Jimmy ne'er passes up the accidental to nonstop a message," and respective artists referenced 1 of Carter's wide circulated quotes astir music: "One of the things that has held America unneurotic has been the euphony that we stock and love."

Leavell took the signifier aggregate times Tuesday, reprising euphony helium played and sang astir 50 years agone erstwhile Carter, past an underdog erstwhile Georgia governor, outpaced better-known Democrats to triumph his party's information and the presidency successful the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal.

"Music was specified an important portion of his governmental legacy," Jason Carter told The Associated Press. "The Allman Brothers helped get him elected. Willie Nelson helped get him elected. He genuinely believed that.

"When helium was coming retired of the South, moving for president of the United States, the Allman Brothers and immoderate of these different folks were truly announcing this New South that was turning the leafage connected the days of segregation – their lyrics, their full vibe," the younger Carter continued. "He utilized that to link crossed generations."

Leavell traced Carter's emotion of euphony to his upbringing successful church; the erstwhile president has written astir his aboriginal religion experiences, including visiting a Black congregation adjacent his location conscionable extracurricular Plains. Carter recalled being much captivated by the euphony determination than what helium heard successful his all-white congregation. At the Naval Academy, Leavell noted, Carter and 1 of his friends would bargain classical recordings of the aforesaid pieces to survey however euphony tin beryllium interpreted differently.

Part of the evening progressive recounting Carter's bequest arsenic president and with The Carter Center, which advocates democracy, resolves struggle and fights illness crossed the world.

Hannah Hooper, a pb vocalist of the alternate stone set Grouplove, praised Carter for dramatically expanding nationally protected parkland lands, astir of it successful Alaska. Actress Renee Zellweger narrated the lifelong narration betwixt the erstwhile president and his wife, whom helium archetypal met erstwhile she was conscionable days aged and who died past November aft 77 years of marriage.

Two erstwhile Atlanta Braves shot stars, Terry Pendleton and Dale Murphy, celebrated Carter arsenic the team's No. 1 fan. They recalled what it was similar to play with the Carters sitting successful a field-level box, and they presented the erstwhile president's great-grandsons with a Braves jersey to springiness their great-grandfather. The jersey number: 100.

Bernice King, the girl of slain civilian rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., recounted Carter's narration with her household — helium was adjacent to her mother, and her gramps was instrumental successful Carter's 1976 election. Though Carter was not actively progressive successful King Jr.'s work, Bernice King thanked the erstwhile president for publically crediting her begetter for his indirect relation successful Carter's governmental rise. Without the successes of the Civil Rights Movement, she recalled Carter saying, the federation ne'er would person elevated a Southern politician who came of property successful the epoch of Jim Crow segregation.

The nighttime was mostly void of partisan politics, though Jason Carter had spoken astatine the Democratic National Convention successful August, saying his gramps wished helium could beryllium astatine the convention.

There were signs connected Thursday nighttime of Democratic allegiances to Carter and shadows of the 2024 election.

Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers praised Carter arsenic being up of his clip and added that the state would person been amended disconnected if helium had gotten to "finish the job" — an evident notation to Carter's landslide decision to Republican Ronald Reagan successful 1980.

The database of erstwhile presidents paying tribute was bipartisan: Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George W. Bush were packaged with Obama. President Biden added his greetings, recalling that helium was the archetypal U.S. legislator to endorse Carter's White House bid. "I respect you truthful darn much," Mr. Biden said, calling Carter, "Mr. President."

But determination was a notable omission: erstwhile President Donald Trump. The 2024 Republican nominee has this twelvemonth repeatedly formed Carter arsenic a failed president arsenic helium tries to marque a comeback bid. After the 2016 election, Carter questioned Trump's legitimacy.

Arie's selections, meanwhile, included "What If," the lyrics of which see archetypal names of Black women who person breached barriers. Among them: Kamala. That notation to the vice president and Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, drew roars from the crowd.

Jason Carter, for his part, said his gramps has been captivated by Biden's determination to extremity his reelection bid and the anticipation that Harris could go the archetypal pistillate successful the Oval Office. The younger Carter, who present chairs The Carter Center board, said Jimmy Carter struggled successful the months aft Rosalynn Carter's decease but present is excited by different campaign.

"He's acceptable to crook the leafage connected Trump," Jason Carter said, but much driven by the accidental to ballot for Harris. "When Kamala came onto the scene, it truly galvanized the party, and it truly energized him arsenic well."

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