How Bill Clinton Became A Grammy Award-Winner

It's a common thought that popular presidents will win accolades such as a Nobel Peace Prize or any of the many other awards for diplomacy and their public service. But no one really expects the president of any country to be the recipient of an award commonly associated with musicians and singers. Believe it or not, one of our more recent and well-known presidents was the first U.S. president to ever receive this type of award, and it's a fact that often slips in between the cracks.

Although Grammys are typically gifted to those who are musically inclined — and former President Bill Clinton was known for his proclivity on the saxophone — his talents in music aren't the reason why he received a Grammy. The 42nd president of the United States was awarded a Grammy in the spoken word category for lending his voice to a book. In 2004, his narration of the popular children's symphonic story "Peter and the Wolf: Wolf Tracks" garnered the ex-president a win in 2004 for the "Best Spoken Word Album for Children." Accompanied by the trilling, whimsical instrumentals of the Russian National Orchestra, Clinton's reading of this retold classic tale turned out to be a treat for listeners.

Bill Clinton's 2004 win at the Grammys marked him as the first president to ever receive a Grammy award. People seemed to love having the former president read along to the familiar story and tune. It wouldn't be the only time the president received such an honor at the music awards show, however. 

Just one year later, at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards, the Democrat would once again be acknowledged for his voice work with yet another award. This time, the honor came from his narration of a book more personal to Clinton.

During Bill Clinton's two terms as president, there was no shortage of alleged scandals and secrets happening in the White House. One of the biggest scandals that would ultimately lead to Clinton's impeachment was the accusations of infidelity by Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern smitten with Bill Clinton at the time. In his autobiography "My Life," the former president gives his side of the story of the affair with Lewinsky as well as other personal details about his political life. The autobiography proved to strike a chord with readers, earning Clinton his second Grammy award.

While Bill Clinton would be the first president to win a Grammy award, he isn't the only politician or even POTUS to win big at the popular music awards show. Former President Barack Obama is the recipient of two Grammys, both in the "Spoken Word Album" category. He won in 2006 for narrating his memoir "Dreams From My Father." In 2008, he would win for the audio recording of his book "The Audacity of Hope," adding another Grammy award to his shelf. Former President Jimmy Carter has won three Grammy awards and holds a whopping nine nominations.

Before Bill Clinton would win his Grammy awards in the early 2000s, another Clinton would clinch a Grammy win in the same category as the ex-president. In 1997, while she was still the First Lady of the United States, Hillary Clinton became the first Clinton in her family to win a Grammy. The former presidential candidate won the award for narrating the audio version of her book, "It Takes a Village."