June 3rd, 1992.
For those of you who don't know, that's then Arkansas Governor and U.S. Presidential candidate William Jefferson Clinton playing the saxophone on the Arsenio Hall Show.
And this was the moment he won that election. Not in November, but on this night right here.
Nowadays, people forget how influencial and ground breaking Arsenio's late night talk show was.
"The Arsenio Hall Show," which aired from 1989 to 1994, was different from most of the other talk shows of the 1980s and early 1990s. Hall's show specifically catered to a younger, more diverse audience, particularly African Americans, who were underrepresented in late-night TV. Focusing on inclusion and celebration of Black culture and issues, it stood apart from the predominantly white-hosted late-night talk shows of the time. The show had a high energy, party-like atmosphere that was more dynamic and alive than the stuffy, older talk show formats. For all his cutting edge vibe, you'd never see David Letterman's audience doing the iconic "dog pound" cheer every night.
Then there was the music. Hall's show featured a wide variety of musical guests, including hip-hop and R&B artists who were obviously not booked on other talk shows. This focus on contemporary and often cutting-edge musical acts helped draw a younger, more music-savvy audience.
And helped set the stage for Clinton's appearance.
Bill Clinton comes out swinging with a rendition of Elvis' classic hit "Heartbreak Hotel".
It's not a virtuoso performance by any measure. In fact, it's a bit clunky and rusty at some point. But, still, it's a FRICKIN' PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE LETTING LOOSE ON THE SAXOPHONE ON A LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW. I'm unapologetic about the all-caps there because, again, for those new to this, you cannot overstate how unique this was. Clinton rolled the dice, to be sure, but he ended up winning the White House.
In this dismal, dire, borderline hopeless election season, it's really all we want: a candidate that people can relate to, a candidate that is willing to break down a few barriers to get to those voters who have been feeling left out, or turned off by the extremism and vitriol of modern politics.
We just want a candidate who isn't 100 years old and either senile or crazy. Any maybe someone who has some musical chops as well. It's not a big ask. And, obviously, it's something that has happened before.
Anyway, here's iconic blues-man Albert King with his own unique take on Heartbreak Hotel. Enjoy.
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