In a surprise appearance, Michelle Obama helped kick off the Grammy Awards on Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The popular former first lady, alongside show host Alicia Keyes, Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jennifer Lopez, was part of a special segment on the meaning of music.
The crowd went wild as Obama tried to talk about the importance of singular and varied voices in the music industry.
“From the Motown records I wore out on the South Side (of Chicago) to the ‘Who Run the World’ songs that fueled me through this last decade, music has always helped me tell my story,” she said to the cheering crowd.
“Whether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves, our dignity and sorrows, our hopes and joys. It allows us to hear one another, to invite each other in.”
Each of the women spoke a few words about the importance of music in their lives, but it was Obama's appearance that thrilled the audience.
"A big part of friendship is showing up for your girls – that's why I was thrilled to be there for the one and only Alicia Keyes at the Grammys," Obama tweeted a short time after her appearance. She is one of the most genuine and thoughtful people I know – there's no one better to help us all celebrate the unifying power of music."
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