CHICAGO — From John Legend to Stevie Wonder to Pink, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago has had no shortage of superstar musical powerhouses.
But the last time the DNC was in the Windy City, the big musical act was a local favorite.
It was our beloved WGN colleague, Chicago treasure and baseball icon Harry Caray. He was tapped to sing what became his signature song: “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in front of the DNC in 1996.
How did he wind up singing the 7th Inning Stretch at the convention? It turns out, Bill Clinton was an avid WGN viewer and a huge fan of Caray’s. Clinton personally invited Caray to sing on the final night of the convention, right before Clinton accepted his party’s nomination.
See Harry Caray’s Performance
Longtime WGN sports cameraman Jim Tianis was sent to keep Caray company.
“I walk into the VIP room, and sure enough there’s Harry sitting in a chair kind of like a throne, hands on both sides. There’s a woman in front of him and she’s playing guitar,” he said.
It was 14-time Grammy Award winner Emmy Lou Harris , who also performed at the DNC. She was giving Caray a private concert. When Tianis walked in, Caray cut her off.
“I tried to apologize for Harry. He was just happy to see me, and that’s how he was. There was no filter,” he said.
Then it was time to turn the United Center into “Wrigley West.”
“He killed it. Like Harry would always kill it. He did a great job and everyone loved it,” Tianis said.
The Democratic National Convention in Chicago concluded Thursday night with Vice President Kamala Harris accepting the party’s nomination to the land’s highest office.
DNC Highlights:
Chicago has hosted Democrats 12 times, the last being nearly 30 years ago when President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second term.
WGN Cover Story: Why Chicago has hosted more presidential conventions than any other city.