Heard on the Hill: Conyers Music Panel Mistake
“Glee”! The Strokes! Willie Nelson! … Rep. John Conyers? One of these things is not like the others.
The Michigan Democrat sat on a panel for GRAMMYs on the Hill on Tuesday afternoon … by accident, as it turns out.
He had come to see the discussion, which featured producers who have worked with the likes of (Sir) Paul McCartney, Santana and Brad Paisley, when he grabbed some food and sat down at a table in the front of the room.
Conyers had taken the seat of the moderator, the Recording Academy’s Daryl Friedman, right as the panel was about to begin.
But no worries.
Friedman and the music producers (including Adam Anders of “Glee” fame and Scott Hendricks, producer of Blake Shelton’s latest album) played it off like Conyers should be there.
They introduced the Congressman, who joked that his contribution to the music world had been playing the trumpet in high school.
Later, he revealed that he has played “every instrument except the accordion.”
“What bothers me is how unfair the system is to the music industry,” Conyers said of the panel.
Sounds like Conyers would make a great advocate for the music producers, as well as an interesting addition to next year’s Congressional Band.
Also making an appearance at Tuesday’s panel: Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.), who chatted up producer Ray Benson, and Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), who brought along his daughter and her friend.