Michelle Obama Opens Up About Starstruck Moments with Iconic Musicians
Even Michelle Obama can experience being starstruck, just like anyone else.
Despite her prominence in the United States over the past few decades, the former First Lady admits to feeling a little jittery when meeting her favorite musicians.
During an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Obama shared the names of the two musicians who made her go into "fangirl" mode.
When Fallon asked if she ever feels starstruck, despite her own celebrity status, Obama was characteristically humble and candid in her response, saying, "Absolutely I do. Just imagine the people that we met!"
During their six years in the White House, the Obama family encountered numerous famous individuals. In the interview, Michelle Obama revealed that Stevie Wonder was one such person who made her gush, saying, "Stevie? You know, when I first met Stevie Wonder? I was just like 'Stevie!' I fangirled out. Prince? I mean ... Prince played at the White House months before he passed, actually. I fangirl out."
Michelle Obama had memorable experiences with both Stevie Wonder and Prince. In 2017, Wonder serenaded her on The Tonight Show as a tribute to her upcoming departure from the White House. Not only did she receive a special performance of "Isn't She Lovely" dedicated to her, but Wonder even rewrote the lyrics of "My Cherie Amour" specifically for her.
"My Michelle amour," the music legend sang. "You're the only one we adore... You'll always be First Lady in our lives."
Interestingly, Stevie Wonder was the first concert former President Barack Obama attended in 1983, creating a full-circle moment for the couple.
Arranging Prince's visit to the White House proved to be more challenging. In a podcast with Questlove, Michelle Obama revealed that they encountered difficulties inviting the singer to birthday celebrations because of his religious beliefs as a practicing Jehovah's Witness (via Consequence).
"He was like, 'I can't come, but I want to come.' We had to figure out how to create something that wasn't a birthday," she recalled. Prince ultimately agreed to the alternative arrangement. "For the first 15 minutes, he just let his band riff. They were just jamming before he even showed up."