Ten notable instances when music and politics collided

I have to hand it to Barack Obama - the man is apparently fearless. This weekend, the presidential hopeful will be making an appearance at storied alternative rock festival Lollapalooza in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. The bill for the three day show is long and diverse, with acts ranging from Celt party punks Flogging Molly to keyboard freaksters Holy Fuck to introverted rock gods Radiohead. The odds of an awkward photo op or bizarre backstage encounter occurring between Barack and any number of super-cool indie rockers will probably be higher than (say it with me) half the audience.

I'm not saying a fist bump with noted druggie/space cadet Perry Ferrell would completely derail Obama's campaign, but you never know. Alan Keyes seemed like a lock for the White House in 2000 until he jumped into that mosh pit. And you don't hear much from Bob Dole these days ever since he got all horned up over Britney Spears in that Pepsi commercial. Of course, the door swings both ways. Jimmy Carter's legacy has not been tarnished by the former peanut farmer's playing of Cheech to Willie Nelson's Chong. Some might even say the alleged pot connection between our 39th president and the red-headed stranger has only helped to endear the wrinkled Georgian Democrat to a whole new generation of registered, hemp-advocating voters.

If Barack acts a fool with Thom Yorke or tries to play one of John Popper's harmonicas (yes, Blues Traveler are going to be there), it will just be another incident to add to the list of weird rock n' roll moments that litter the landscape of American politics. Some of these moments are funny, some are sad, and some are just completely unbelievable (did Elvis really think he could show up to the White House and give the President a gun?).

Radar now submits for your approval ten notable instances when the worlds of music and politics collided violently and without warning. Brace yourself.

---

Al Jolson Cracks Up Silent Cal: October 17, 1924
The dubious practice of blackface aside, Al Jolson was one of history's greatest entertainers. The boisterous singer's voice was supposedly so powerful it could rattle auditorium walls sans amplification. Jolie could never resist any opportunity to perform; after President Woodrow Wilson remarked during a private meeting that he'd never seen Al perform, the singer burst into "You Made Me Love You" as the creator of the Federal Reserve System ate breakfast.

Al Jolson had his share of presidential encounters, but none was more notable than the morning he met with president and man of few words Calvin Coolidge on the White House lawn in 1924. "Silent Cal" was so notoriously quiet and stony that when news of his 1933 death reached writer Dorothy Parker, she reportedly replied, "How can they tell?" Jolson, who had penned a new campaign song for Silent Cal, titled "Keep Cool With Coolidge," was able to rouse some emotion in the Vermont native. Jolie hung out with the president and his cabinet after newsreels captured footage of him singing his campaign song; the person laughing loudest at hammy Al's antics was none other than Silent Cal himself. Proof that sometimes all you need to crack a cool New England exterior is a shticky Jew.