George Bush was not exactly known for having a rock ’n’ roll side. But as part of his inaugural festivities in 1989, the 41st president had an unusual photo-op at a concert, hamming it up on a prop guitar while soul-music stars like Sam Moore, Carla Thomas and Percy Sledge smiled around him. Right next to the new president was Lee Atwater, his campaign manager, who was criticized then — and is best remembered now — for racially inflammatory tactics like the notorious Willie Horton TV spot, which featured the mug shot of Horton, an African-American prisoner who raped a white woman while out on a weekend furlough. News photographs of Bush’s air-guitar moment have been widely disseminated, particularly since Bush’s death on Friday. But video of the moment itself has been largely unseen until now.

Source: New York Times December 05, 2018 16:49 UTC