LIST: Country Music Stars Who Have Visited The White House
on Sep 04, 2025
Which Country Stars Have Visited The White House?
Country music and patriotism often go hand in hand. Over the course of history, a number of artists have taken time to visit the White House to perform, celebrate American culture, and support important presidential events.
Music icons like Johnny Cash performed for President Nixon, while Willie Nelson famously visited during Jimmy Carter’s administration, bridging the gap between entertainment and politics.
Keep reading to see which famous stars have visited 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
8 Country Stars Who Have Visited The President’s House
Johnny Cash
During President Richard Nixon’s administration in 1970, Johnny Cash was invited to perform at the White House.
The concert was part of Nixon’s effort to connect with “middle America” through popular music. Cash performed his his song “A Boy Named Sue.”
President Nixon even described it as the “proudest day of [his] life and in the life of the country.”
Willie Nelson
During former President Jimmy Carter’s presidency, Willie Nelson visited the Oval Office and performed on the South Lawn where First Lady Rosalynn Carter joined him on stage for a duet.
The Carters saw music as a way to “strengthen America’s alliances and promote peaceful diplomacy.”
Nelson’s most famous weed stories happened when he allegedly smoked pot on top of the White House.
“Sitting on the roof of the White House in Washington, D.C., late at night with a beer in one hand and a fat Austin Torpedo in the other, I drifted into a reflective mood,” Willie said later in his autobiography. “Nobody from the Secret Service was watching us—or if they were, it was with the intention of keeping us out of trouble instead of getting us into it.”
Can there be too many pictures of President Carter and Willie Nelson? We think not! This #100PhotosFor100Years shows when Willie Nelson, his wife Connie, and his daughter had a brief visit with President Carter on 5/24/79 in the White House. NAID 185083 #JC100 #CarterLibrary pic.twitter.com/ZDxz50H0nT
— Jimmy Carter Presidential Library (@CarterLibrary) May 25, 2024
Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss has performed a number of times at the White House, first in 1995 during the Bill Clinton Administration.
Krauss played alongside Chet Atkins, Kathy Mattea, and Suzy Bogguss on May 17, 1995 during the “Women of Country” concert on the South Lawn. The event, organized by WETA, celebrated female country artists.
She returned to the White House during President Obama’s era for a special country music event, the “Country Music: In Performance at the White House” along with country star Brad Paisley.
Garth Brooks
During President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021, Garth Brooks sang “Amazing Grace” on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol.
Brooks emphasized that his participation was “not a political statement”, but rather “a statement of unity”, describing it as his way of serving the country.
The Band Perry
The Band Perry performed “If I Die Young” at the White House during Obama’s presidency in 2011.
@finzboy209 #countrymusic #thebandperry #ifidieyoung🥺✨🕊 #whitehouse #washingtondc #fyp #fypシ゚viral ♬ original sound – finzboy209
Martina McBride
In February 2009, during Obama’s first term in office, Martina McBride performed “You and I” in the East Room of the White House during a concert honoring Stevie Wonder, who received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize.
Warren Zeiders
Just a few months ago, rising country talent and outspoken conservative Warren Zeiders met with President Donald Trump in his office.
Zeiders posted a picture to his personal Instagram standing next to the President, joking that he didn’t “know what to do” with his hands.
“It was an honor and a privilege to be invited and welcomed to the White House! @realdonaldtrump was very kind and generous to my family and I, and for that I greatly appreciate and cherish! It was an amazing experience and one that I’ll never forget! God Bless The USA Y’all!!! 🇺🇸🙏🏼🤘🏼” the country star wrote.
Kid Rock
In March of 2025, shortly after Trump was inaugurated for the second time, superstar Kid Rock joing the President for the signing of an executive order targeting unfair scalping of concert tickets.
“Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years – no matter what your politics are – knows that it’s a conundrum,” Kid Rock, said of the order. “This is a great first step.”
Kid Rock and Trump are good friends, spending “a lot of time” at the golf course together.
“He became a friend of mine over the last ten years, and he’s amazing,” Trump has said of the singer. “Everyone loves him. I didn’t even know how big he was.”
