John F Kennedy Birthday Event Madison Square Garden 1962

Concert Date

May 19, 1962

Performer

John F Kennedy

Ella Fitzgerald

Jimmy Durante

Bobby Darin

Jack Benny

Maria Callas

Diahann Carroll

Henry Fonda

Danny Kaye

Peggy Lee

Nichols & May

The Jerome Robbins Ballet Group

Marilyn Monroe

Width (Inches)

13.875

Height (Inches)

20

Venue

Madison Square Garden

City

New York

State

New York

Poster Type

Poster

About

This night is best remembered for the moment when Marilyn Monroe seductively sang "Happy Birthday" from the stage to JFK, an electric moment of pop-culture and political history colliding. Monroe sang the traditional birthday song in a very sexy delivery, adorned in a skintight dress, with "Mr. President" inserted in place of "John." She then continued along with a snippet of "Thanks for the Memory," making up new lyrics that fit JFK and the situation. When a large birthday cake was rolled out and Kennedy took the stage, he cracked, "I can now retire from politics after having had Happy Birthday sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way." Jacqueline Kennedy, was not in attendance. Marilyn Monroe passed away less than three months later.