Performers gear up for ‘Memphis Soul’ at the White House

WASHINGTON — Stephani Brownlee will attend a White House workshop with some of the great soul musicians next Tuesday, but she doesn’t mind admitting she’s most looking forward to meeting first lady Michelle Obama.

“She’s my inspiration, being an African-American, and seeing how one can be educated and how one can also be a positive face for young girls,” the 17-yearold pianist at the Soulsville Charter School and Stax Music Academy said Wednesday.

Brownlee will join singer and guitar player Adrian Williams, 18, at the workshop in advance of a PBS staging of “In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul” on Tuesday night in the White House East Room.

Part of a series of concerts at the White House since 1978, the evening lineup will showcase Memphians and Memphis-connected musicians including Justin Timberlake, Steve Cropper, Mavis Staples, Ben Harper, Charlie Musselwhite and Sam Moore. Booker T. Jones will serve as music director and band leader.

Al Green, who sang a duet of “Let’s Stay Together” last year with President Barack Obama, was to have headlined the evening but has canceled due to a recent back injury, his publicist said Wednesday. Also performing Tuesday night will be Cyndi Lauper, Queen Latifah and “American Idol” Joshua Ledet.

The event will be streamed live on the White House web- site Tuesday and broadcast on PBS stations, including WKNOChannel 10, on the evening of April 16.

At Tuesday’s workshop in the State Dining Room, Adrian and Stephani, Stax Academy and Stax Museum director Lisa Allen and vocal coach and operations manager Justin Merrick will join students from cities across the country.