Bellagio pianist Osborne to perform for Carters’ 75th anniversary

David Osborne has played some spiffy halls, but his gig Saturday at Plains High School in Georgia takes the cake.

The anniversary cake.

Las Vegas’ “Pianist to the Presidents” is performing for Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s 75th wedding anniversary. About 500 folks have been invited, including President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. Former first couples Bill and Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush and Laura Bush, and Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are also on the guest list.

“This is a huge honor,” says Osborne, who you can usually find at the grand piano at Petrossian Bar & Lounge at Bellagio. “I was just floored when he invited me to do this.”

Osborne has performed on the Strip since 1994, first as featured pianist at Palace Court at Caesars Palace. He’s been at the Bellagio since 2007. He met Jimmy Carter at a book-signing in Orlando, Florida, in 1988. The pianist gave Carter a vinyl album he’d just recorded. The ex-president loved the music and a friendship was formed.

For the 75th anniversary, Osborne anticipates performing such Carter favorites as John Lennon’s “Imagine” and Ray Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind.” A John Denver medley and select Broadway tunes should be on the set list, along with some slices of Americana.

“They love patriotic songs,” Osborne says. “I’m sure we will have a medley of those, too.”

The Carters have been married longer than any first couple ever, and longer — of course — than almost any couple, generally. They are also the longest-living first couple in history. Jimmy is 96 and Rosalyn 93. They were married on July 7, 1946, in Plains.

To celebrate, the couple picked the high school from which they graduated, in the town that launched Jimmy Carter’s political career.

“I’m playing for an hour and a half in the high school auditorium,” Osborne says. “Of all the people he could have asked, he called me and I’m just humbled by it.”

Osborne is accustomed to such honors, having performed for every president dating to Carter and including Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Obama and (in December 2019) Donald Trump.

In all, Osborne counts 67 formal events at the White House and also such celebratory performances as the Carters’ dual birthday party in August 2019 at First Baptist Church in Americus, Georgia.

The Carters’ party invitation specifies, “Please no gifts.” But Osborne’s participation of music, once again, is a gift in itself.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.