A tribute to John Hall’s 4th day in Congress
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- January
- 8
Ever since he appeared on the Colbert Report’s “Better Know a District” and agreed to a duet of the Star Spangled Banner with Stephen [YouTube Clip], I’ve been a big fan of John Hall. As you may know, he defeated six-term Republican congresswoman Sue Kelly last fall. Some attributed the win to his anti-war stance, others credited his simply being a Democrat. But I’m pretty sure it was a combination of the Colbert effect, the man’s beautiful bald head, and the fact that he was also the lead guitarist for the ‘70s band Orleans—the group behind “Still the One” (he’s the one in the middle of the album cover).
Anyway, I said as much in an ex-post-facto endorsement last November (which, incidentally, still has the longest, most pedantic reader comment you’ll find on this blog). What I didn’t know then, and just read about in the New York Times yesterday, is that Hall rocks for yet another reason: “When he was sworn in as a congressman on Thursday, he became the first bona fide rock ‘n’ roll musician in the House of Representatives. (Sonny Bono did not play an instrument.)”
Pretty friggin awesome! I’d always thought, with the glut of actors and athletes, that there must be a few musicians in there too. But nope, our current 19th Congressional Representative is the first. Rock on, Mr. Hall.
Or as Colbert might say, with pinky and index outstretched, Whaaaa!
“Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll Goes to Congress” [NY Times]
(Hall swearing in photo: Dave Kennedy/The Journal News; Hall and Jackson Browne photo: Stuart Bayer/The Journal News)
This entry was posted
on Monday, January 8th, 2007 at 9:27 am by Ted Mann.
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