Tim Rushlow says he'll perform for Trump's first dance
Donald Trump's first dance on inauguration night will likely have Frank Sinatra vibes.
Tim Rushlow & His Big Band will provide the music for Donald and Melania Trump’s first dance as president and first lady on Friday, Rushlow confirms to USA TODAY.
It's news that made headlines Tuesday, but Rushlow has known about the gig since Dec. 23. "This has been in the works for a while," he says.
Rushlow, who switched gears from his ’90s country act Little Texas to swing jazz in recent years, says it was The Apprentice mega-producer Mark Burnett and his music supervisor who approached him.
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Entertainment for the coming weekend has been a bumpy unveiling for Trump, whose inaugural committee has struggled to book A-list talent for the weekend's festivities.
Jackie Evancho, a 16-year-old classical crossover and pop singer who placed second on America’s Got Talent in 2010, will perform the national anthem, and 3 Doors Down, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the New York City Rockettes are among confirmed talent. (One Rockette made headlines expressing her displeasure with the job following the announcement.)
On Thursday, Rushlow will also perform alongside Sam Moore and country stars Lee Greenwood and Toby Keith at the Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration.
He would not reveal the song the Trumps have selected for their first dance at the Freedom Ball (the largest of three inaugural balls that they're expected to attend), but "I'm really excited to bring this throwback, retro, 1965 Bobby Darin supper club experience to an inaugural ball," he says.
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His party line? Rushlow calls himself a "Constitutionalist" and says he's performing in hopes of "uniting our country," adding that he would have "absolutely" agreed to perform should Hillary Clinton have won the election.
"It’s not like I have a neutral opinion" politically, he says. "It’s more that I want the best for our country. ... We have to move forward. Let's do this with class and with grace."
The crooner says he's not worried about the sort of backlash Jennifer Holliday received. The Broadway star had initially confirmed a performance for the inauguration but backed out after receiving heavy criticism.
"For the record, I am a huge Jennifer Holliday fan ... I don’t disrespect in any way her choice to pull out," says Rushlow. "She has that right and that’s OK. But on my end of it, no, I don’t think so. From the beginning, I felt like, you know what, I need to do this."
But he has yet to meet Trump. "I look forward to that," says Rushlow.