Lester Lewis

LONG BEFORE Barack Obama began 'measuring the drapes' at the White House, gospel singer Lester Lewis envisioned a black man occupying the Oval Office at America's most famous residence.

In fact, 12 years before Obama became the first black man elected president of the United States, Lewis wrote I Saw a Black Man in The White House, a song that went ignored until Obama's historic victory last Tuesday.

"I wrote that song after I came from New York in 1996. I gave it to Robert Livingston (Shaggy's manager) and Specialist (Clifton Dillon, Shabba Rank's former manager) but no one wanted to take a chance on it," Lewis told The Gleaner by phone from Grenada. Steve Young, an American producer who worked with Lewis on his last three albums, has taken that chance. He and Lewis recently recorded I Saw a Black Man in The White House at Young's Media Recording studio in New York City, complementing Lewis' vocals with a rap by comedian Katt Williams.

Reservations

Young, who produced the song, said he liked Lewis' concept from the start, but had some reservations.

"When I first heard him perform it, he was doing a very slow version and blues flavour," Young recalled. "I stopped him and said, "if there's a black man in the White House isn't that a very happy, positive thing?" I made him speed it up, I changed some chords and wrote the rest of the music and made it happy," Young explained.

Williams, known for his stand-up routine on BET Comic View and appearances in movies like Norbit, was brought in by Young to rap on the song. Obama's run for the US presidency inspired songs by a diverse list of acts from reggae singer Cocoa Tea to rapper Ludacris and Calypsonian The Mighty Sparrow. Lewis said he was inspired to write I Saw a Black Man in The White House following an argument 12 years ago with some African-Americans in New York City.

High-profile producers

"They were whining and complaining about racism, and that if a black man ever became president how he would be assassinated. I didn't look at it that way," Lewis said.

Back home in Jamaica, he recorded the song on cassette and unsuccessfully pitched it to high-profile producers. Lewis said he has performed the song in concert over the years.

Lewis, 54, is from Mount Prospect in Manchester and has been a gospel artiste since 1977 when he became a Christian. One of his best known songs is Winner Man which was covered by American gospel singer Ron Kenoly.

I Saw a Black Man in the White House is scheduled to be officially released in the US on December 15. It will also be included on Just Love, Lewis' next album, which is expected to be available in early 2009.

Quick facts

Slaves built the main residence of the White House. Construction on the building began in 1792.

The Ku Klux Klan and other Southern groups were outraged when president Theodore Roosevelt had discussions with African-American educator Booker T Washington at the White House in 1901.

Singer/actor Sammy Davis Jr met with president Richard Nixon at the White House in March, 1973. Davis stunned Nixon by kissing him on television. Nixon invited Davis to spend the night at the White House, the first such invitation to a black man. Davis slept in the Queen's Bedroom.

Steve Young is the nephew of Joe Young, who is rated as one of America's top 100 composers. His songs have been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Elvis Presley.

Katt Williams played Money Mike in the movie, Friday After Next.