Another Asheville-White House connection: Singer-songwriter Billy Jonas played at the White House on Easter Monday

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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So everybody knows that President Obama is headed to Asheville to vacation this coming weekend. But the news that local singer-songwriter Billy Jonas played at the White House on Easter Monday apparently passed by lots of folks, me included.

Here are a couple of tidbits. First from the Billy Jonas website:

It’s true– On Monday April 5th the Billy Jonas Band will perform at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll!  We are honored to have been invited by my former neighbor, Barak Obama (he used to live across the alley from my family in Hyde Park).  Actually, one of his staff members sent the invitation but that’s close enough…. 

And here‘s a mention in the Salisbury Post:

Ashley Jo Farmer of Salisbury knew it was a big honor to be invited to sing at the White House as part of the Billy Jonas Band.

But the singer/songwriter had no idea of what Easter Monday would hold for her or her family. Husband Tommy and children Sarah, 11, and Benjamin, 5, accompanied Ashley to Washington, excited to be part of her moment in the sun.

She didn’t imagine she’d get to pose for a picture with Michelle Obama’s arm around her shoulder. Or that she would be asked by star Mariska Hargitay to take some photos of her son. Or get to pose with Reese Witherspoon and author J.K. Rowling — in the same photo. 

And her daughter Sarah never dreamed she’d get a front row seat for a performance of the young Canadian singer who is smoking hot right now: Justin Bieber.

But all these things happened. 

And, oh yes, the Billy Jonas Band performed as well.