WASHINGTON – A full-throated, supremely confident Lady Gaga belted out the national anthem Wednesday in a very Gaga way — with flamboyance, fashion and passion.
As he left the podium, he shook hands with Biden, former Vice President Mike Pence, donned his cowboy hat and hugged former President Barack Obama.
The inaugural committee has made sure to blend this high-powered list with ordinary Americans and inspiring stories.
The celebrity component only increased over time, and one of the starriest inaugurations was that of John F. Kennedy in 1961.
That celebration, hosted by Frank Sinatra, drew Harry Belafonte, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Kelly, Ethel Merman, Laurence Olivier, Sidney Poitier and other celebrities.