WASHINGTON: Whether belting out lyrics to Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” leading a mournful congregation through “Amazing Grace,” or tweeting his Spotify music playlist that includes Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone, President Barack Obama has shown that he’s a pretty soulful guy.

The president and his wife, Michelle, also have prominently showcased such R&B and soul talent as Patti LaBelle and B.B. King during state dinners, music history events and the annual Easter Egg Roll.

The latest installment of the PBS series “In Performance at the White House” celebrated the history of American music with performances by Queen Latifah, Smokey Robinson, Usher, Trombone Shorty, and Esperanza Spalding, among others. It is set to air on PBS stations Jan. 8.

Spalding landed on the first lady’s Spotify music playlist. The Grammy Award-winning jazz singer and bassist said the variety of musicians who have performed at the White House conveys a message of inclusion at what the Obamas have long touted as the “People’s House.”

“It seems like there is a theme of wanting to really support artists who are working hard— not just in their craft— but communicating about the issues of our time,” said Spalding, an advocate of human rights issues at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Spalding, who has trained student musicians at a White House workshop, said the Obamas believe that “just because you’re not famous, doesn’t mean you’re not important. Everybody that is committed to their art is an important of American music.”

Dalton Delan, an executive producer for “In Performance at the White House,” said WETA, the PBS station that serves the Washington, D.C., area and produces the series, largely selects artists based on the show’s theme, but with administration approval.