WASHINGTON — Stevie Wonder and Prince threw down at the White House on Saturday night, but the public and the press weren’t invited or notified.
The event was not included on the President’s public schedule, though a White House spokesman confirmed it after the fact.
Some 500 people attended the concert. Wonder and Prince played hits “Kiss” and “Purple Rain” and, at one point, invited fellow singer Stevie Wonder onstage for a surprise duet of “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.”
White House Spokesman Josh Earnest said The First Family paid for the party, though he wouldn’t elaborate on how much it cost, or whether things like security were also covered, Politico reported.
Most information about the event came from social media posts of guests, many of whom were celebrities.
The Rev. Al Sharpton tweeted Sunday after leaving the White House that it was “awesome” to see Prince and Stevie Wonder together on the keyboards.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback also tweeted about the event.
Prince performed in town Saturday at the Warner Theater.
When asked why the Obamas weren’t more transparent about a White House event with a guest list that included Fortune 500 CEOS and possibly lobbyists, Earnest said that “opening up their home to guests” on a Saturday night is an “appropriate thing” for the Obamas to do, The Washington Post reported.
