Image Courtesy TNTHunter Hayes performs for President Obama on tonight’s Christmas in Washington special on TNT, but this won’t be the first time he’s entertained a sitting president. In fact, Hunter sang for his first U.S. president as a seven- or eight-year-old child prodigy in a Cajun band.
Hunter tells ABC News Radio, “It was actually on the White House lawn.”
He returned to Washington, D.C. the next year to perform for the president again, but Hunter admits he didn’t really understand what a big deal that was as a kid.
He says with a laugh, “I’m 23 now. It means a lot. It means a lot more, you know.”
Look for Hunter to perform “Run Run Rudolph” and “Mary, Did You Know” on Christmas in Washington. Performing on this show has been on Hunter’s wish list for a while now.
“I’ve seen, actually, a lot of my favorite artists do it,” Hunter explains. “Everything about it is just so [big] — I mean, the enormous and incredible orchestra, the choir, the band that plays with everybody. The production, the building, and obviously, all for our nation, right? So, it’s quite something to walk into and process.”
Darius Rucker, Earth Wind & Fire and pop star Rita Ora are also performing on Christmas in Washington. The show, hosted by Dwayne “The Rock“ Johnson, airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET, and you’ll see the first family get onstage with all the musical performers at the end and hug them.
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