# Does Barack Obama play a musical instrument? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 29, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502 "2009-01-29T03:54:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/1 "2009-01-29T03:54:13Z")
That’s all, really. I was just wondereing if the new President of the United States plays a musical instrument. Is anyone in his immediate family a musician? I don’t recall seeing anything about this pressing issue. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/2 "2009-01-29T04:00:09Z")
Not that I can discover. If he does it may be a well kept secret. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/3 "2009-01-29T05:04:14Z")
basketball ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/4 "2009-01-29T05:29:09Z")
From reading his biography, I can’t remember if he played an instrument. But he has a very diverse taste in music, as I recall he is quite familiar with Jazz and jazz history, Billie Holiday seemed to come up quite a bit i think. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/5 "2009-01-29T06:02:23Z")
I’m pretty sure he never mentioned playing an instrument in either of his books. ---
**Author:** ![Cider\_Depot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Cider\_Depot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cider_Depot)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/6 "2009-01-29T06:49:49Z")
This is interesting, as a slight hijack. It’s a list of political figures who play or played a musical instrument. There is some representation by US presidents. Nixon played the accordian, apparently. [http://musiced.about.com/od/famousmusicians1/a/famouspeople.htm](http://musiced.about.com/od/famousmusicians1/a/famouspeople.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/7 "2009-01-29T07:38:41Z")
[Cartman from South Park] Well, he’s black, therefore he can play the bass perfectly. [/Cartman from South Park] ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/8 "2009-01-29T15:53:19Z")
Sorry, I have to post the whole thing… Cartman: Okay, now Token give me a smooth bassline. Token: But I don’t know how to play bass. Cartman: (exasperated sigh) Token how many times have we been through this, you’re black, you can play bass guitar. Token: Dammit Cartman I’m getting sick of your stereotypes! Cartman: You can get as sick as you want just give me a smooth bassline! Token: (Starts playing smooth baseline) Dammit. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/9 "2009-01-29T15:56:18Z")
> [@Cider\_Depot](#): > > This is interesting, as a slight hijack. It’s a list of political figures who play or played a musical instrument. There is some representation by US presidents. Nixon played the accordian, apparently. > > [http://musiced.about.com/od/famousmusicians1/a/famouspeople.htm](http://musiced.about.com/od/famousmusicians1/a/famouspeople.htm) That list also says Clinton was impeached in 1998. I’m not sure I trust it. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/10 "2009-01-29T15:58:09Z")
> [@Cider\_Depot](#): > > Nixon played the accordian, apparently. > > [http://musiced.about.com/od/famousmusicians1/a/famouspeople.htm](http://musiced.about.com/od/famousmusicians1/a/famouspeople.htm) Are you sure it wasn’t a fiddle? ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/11 "2009-01-29T16:04:34Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > That list also says Clinton was impeached in 1998. I’m not sure I trust it. Clinton was impeached in 1998, just not convicted. Not that that has any bearing on the veracity of the list… ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/12 "2009-01-29T19:57:26Z")
> [@DaphneBlack](#): > > Clinton was impeached in 1998, just not convicted. Not that that has any bearing on the veracity of the list… It doesn’t mention that Clinton apparently plays guitar, too. How well, I don’t know. He was presented with a Taylor at some point, and Taylor’s “recording artists” page of Taylor owners lists him under notable “civilians”: [http://www.taylorguitars.com/artists/awp/recording.html](http://www.taylorguitars.com/artists/awp/recording.html) Apart from the accordian, that list does note that Nixon played the piano. By most accounts he was a fairly good pianist. Chester A Arthur playing the banjo, and Ghandi playing the concertina, though … Nero is believed to have played bagpipes, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![G1llyB4tes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@G1llyB4tes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G1llyB4tes)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/13 "2009-01-29T20:14:11Z")
I was under the assumption that he MUST be a good dancer though… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/14 "2009-01-29T21:52:37Z")
> [@Cider\_Depot](#): > > Nixon played the accordian, apparently. Maybe Barack plays his wife’s squeezebox? ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/15 "2009-01-29T22:50:33Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Maybe Barack plays his wife’s squeezebox? that has got to be the worst song in history. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/16 "2009-01-30T02:19:25Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > That list also says Clinton was impeached in 1998. I’m not sure I trust it. 😕 I’m so being whooshed, right? 😕 Clinton was impeached in 1998. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/17 "2009-01-30T05:30:01Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > [Cartman from South Park] Well, he’s black, therefore he can play the bass perfectly. [/Cartman from South Park] Dammit, you stole my post! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/18 "2009-01-30T14:02:27Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Maybe Barack plays his wife’s squeezebox? And before they met, he played the skinflute. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/19 "2009-01-30T14:07:24Z")
Barack Obama _does_ play the flute. He’s the Pied Piper of Socialism, leading us in a dazed rodent procession straight into the river of Entitlement, where we and our descendants will drown in a flood of red ink, ensuring the destruction of Western Society for all those who haven’t boarded the ark of Responsible Obstructionism. Hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-barack-obama-play-a-musical-instrument/483502/20 "2009-01-30T14:21:10Z")
Asked and answered.