While performing at her show at Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C. Tuesday (Sept. 27) night, Lizzo made history by playing a 200-year-old flute that once belonged to President James Madison. The singer, who is known for being a talented flautist, became the “first and only” person to play the crystal flute.
Lizzo shared her excitement with her followers on her social media account. “The Library of Congress let me play their historic [200-year-old] crystal flute on stage tonight — No one has ever heard what it sounds like…Now you do. @librarycongress,” the singer wrote on Instagram. She then added in another post, “[I’m] the first [and] only person to play this presidential crystal flute. [It’s] literally an heirloom — like… as a flute player this is iconic and I will never be over it.”
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This historic moment came several days after the Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden invited Lizzo to stop by the library which is nation’s oldest cultural institution, the research arm of Congress and home of the largest flute collection in the world. “Lizzo, we would love for you to come see it and even play a couple when you are in [D.C.] next week. Like your song they are ‘Good as hell,’” she wrote in a tweet, which quoted Lizzo’s hit single “Good As Hell.”
The @librarycongress has the largest flute collection in the world with more than 1,800. It incl Pres James Madison’s 1813 crystal flute. @lizzo we would love for you to come see it and even play a couple when you are in DC next week. Like your song they are “Good as hell.”😉 pic.twitter.com/2FkUFZfIYh
— Carla Hayden (@LibnOfCongress) September 23, 2022
Lizzo retweeted the librarian and accepted the offer to see the collection: “[I’m] coming Carla! And I’m [playing] that crystal flute!!!!!” she tweeted.
During her show, Lizzo spoke about her experience visiting the Library of Congress on Monday (Sept. 26), saying that they let her play so many archived flutes. “Make some noise for James Madison’s crystal flute y’all. We got the Capitol police and the secret service and everybody in this b**ch,” she said.
The flute was gifted to Madison in the early 1800s by a French flute designer to celebrate his second inauguration.
The “About Damn Time” singer’s show in Washington, D.C. was the third stop of her “Special Tour,” which features Latto, and set to end in November at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum.