Nick Jonas busted out some soulful tunes at the White House on Thursday, February 24. The youngest member of the Jonas Brothers joined host Jamie Foxx and the other performers Seal and John Legend to open the show with a medley of the Temptation song.
He later took the mic to perform a solo rendition of "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", a classic song by Four Tops. The teen singer/songwriter tweeted after the PBS TV special was over, "UNBELIEVABLE! Just finished an absolutely incredible night at the White House!"
Smokey Robinson made a duet with Sheryl Crow in "You Really Got a Hold on Me" and then Stevie Wonder followed with his own classic "You Are the Sunshine of My Life". "Berry, thank you for this incredible Motown ride," he called out one of fellow Motown vets Berry Gordy who was in the house that night.
The other musical guests at the "Motown Sound: In Performance at the White House" included Natasha Bedingfield, Gloriana, Ledisi and Jordin Sparks. "Glee" stars Amber Riley and Mark Salling performed as well, singing "Living for the City" and "Just My Imagination" respectively.
Motown is "the soundtrack of the civil rights era," President Barack Obama said. "[It helps] blur the line between music that was considered either black or white." First Lady Michele additionally stated, "As Motown rose, so did the forces of change in this country. During that time, it was the time of King and Kennedy, it was a time of marches and rallies and groundbreaking civil rights laws."
The event was livestreamed and will later premiere on Tuesday, March 1 at 8 P.M. ET.
The Temptation medley:
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)":
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