Brian Mulroney and David Foster perform "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" for Melania and Donald Trump

    1 of 3 2 of 3

      The beleaguered president of the United States received a boost on Friday (February 17) night from a former Canadian prime minister.

      Brian Mulroney joined producer-musician David Foster on-stage at the Trump Organization's Mar-a-Lago resort to perform "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling".

      Donald and Melania Trump were in the audience. 

      In introducing Mulroney, Foster called him "my prime minister".

      Foster also revealed that Andrea Bocelli once said that Mulroney has "a great voice".

      Before starting to sing, Mulroney quipped: "Mr. President, I hope this doesn't fracture Canadian-U.S. relations. I apologize in advance."

      In 1985, Mulroney sang "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" with former U.S. president Ronald Reagan at what became known as the Shamrock Summit in Quebec City.

      It occurred just as U.S. trade protectionism was on the rise and helped cement a friendship that lasted for years.

      Video: Brian Mulroney and Ronald Reagan sing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" in 1985.

      Mulroney's knack for charming U.S. presidents hasn't always been appreciated in Canada.

      In a 2007 blog post called "When Irish Eyes Are Lying" humorist David Martin noted that the former prime minister "knows how to suck up to the Americans".

      "Let’s face it; our country is entirely dependent on the U.S. and we better get used to it," Martin wrote at the time. "And who better to cement that dependent relationship than the quintessential American butt kisser, Martin Brian Mulroney? From singing When Irish Eyes Are Smiling to Ronald Reagan to boat riding with George Bush the Elder, the Baie Comeau Bootlick knows the art of ingratiation."

      Victoria-born producer David Foster doesn't have a problem performing for the U.S. president.
      Angela George

      Meanwhile last December, the New York Post reported that Foster was going to be the musical producer of Trump's inauguration.

      Foster subsequently issued a statement acknowledging that he had been asked to participate. However, he said that he "politely and respectfully declined".

      In light of this weekend's performance, it appears as though Foster took a rain check

      In the past, musicians have come under severe criticism for singing at functions hosted by dictators.

      Nicki Minaj, for instance, was paid $2 million to perform in 2015 for Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos, a notorious abuser of human rights.

      She responded by posting an Instagram image of her draped in the Angolan flag.

      https://www.instagram.com/p/_fXpeQr8Ul

      Mariah Carey, Lionel Ritchie, 50 Cent, and Beyoncé have all performed at different times for the Gadhafi family, who ruled Libya for decades with unbelievable cruelty.

      Sting, who's painted himself as a defender of human rights, was widely criticized for singing for the daughter of Uzbekistan's former thuggish ruler, Islam Karimov.

      It remains to be seen if Canadian musicians will leave themselves vulnerable to similar barbs if they perform for the Trumps in the coming years.

      Comments