Terry Stewart, president and CEO of Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, loves to tell the story of the time Hungarian Ambassador Andras Simonyi called out of the blue to introduce himself and say he wanted to talk about making rock ’n’ roll ” ’part of my legacy as ambassador in Washington.’ ”
Mr. Stewart thought one of his friends was playing a joke until the two men met for lunch and he learned how rock had influenced the wayward course of freedom in Hungary when it was under communist control — and the difference the music made in Mr. Simonyi’s life.
The two worlds came together again Tuesday at a reception in the Simonyi residence held ostensibly to introduce the museum to Washington. The event combined poignant reminiscences, political speeches and personal tributes, plus a chance to view guitars once owned by Bruce Springsteen, Bo Diddley and Pete Seeger, the Versace dress worn by Tina Turner during her 1996 “Wildest Dreams” tour and other fabled artifacts normally displayed only in the 12-year-old Ohio museum that now claims some half a million visitors a year.
Superstar Steve Winwood, a Rock Hall of Fame inductee, was present alongside Washington-born guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (of the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan) and Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, who appeared in the spirit of the occasion in his home state museum’s signature black and purple cap and T-shirt.
Every other man wore a tie, including Mr. Winwood and Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez. The latter dropped by in time to hear himself praised as Mr. Simonyi’s “free enterprise” mentor and to witness Mr. Voinovich and Mr. Winwood receive Hungary’s Golden Eagle, a token emblem symbolic of those worn by freedom fighters on the streets of Budapest in 1956.
Mr. Simonyi, in turn, was given a ceremonial gold record from Mr. Stewart — who wasn’t shy about calling rock ’n’ roll “an art form that has changed the world. … What we celebrate is the continuity of music that started with drum beats in Africa.”
“It’s was different back in the ’60s,” said Mr. Simonyi, speaking of the time in July 1968 when he first heard Mr. Winwood play, at age 16 in Budapest during Hungary’s long struggle to become free of the Soviet stranglehold.
“Some are worried that rock ’n’ roll is losing its cutting edge, but it isn’t. Like democracy after 200 years, it is still the cutting edge of society. Nothing can beat it,” he told the crowd.
And he added, ostensibly for the benefit of Cuban-born Mr. Gutierrez and Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, both anti-Castro activists, how “we’d like to see Cuba be as free as Hungary is today.”
Mr. Diaz-Balart spent several minutes before the public speeches imploring Mr. Winwood to help convince rock stars to champion the cause of human rights when performing in Cuba.
Then it was a kiss for Nada Simonyi — Mr. Simonyi’s ever-tolerant wife — from Mr. Winwood and a signal to go upstairs to dine and chat with guests who included Chief of Protocol-designate and former Ambassador to Hungary Nancy Brinker, former Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci and wife Marcia, lawyer Bill Bennett, Rep. Michael Oxley and newsman Wolf Blitzer. It wasn’t until Wednesday morning that Mr. Simonyi, a member of a rock band called “Coalition of the Willing,” got to jam privately with his famous house guest. (“I wanted to hear ’Dear Mr. Fantasy’ from the master himself,” Mr. Simonyi reported later, adding that the experience playing with Mr. Winwood was “really cool.”)
The popular ambassador plans to return to the private sector in August after nearly five years en poste here (having declined, according to several sources, an offer to become Hungary’s next foreign minister).
His band will play locally for the last time on July 27 at Madam’s Organ in Adams Morgan, according to owner Bill Duggan. “They always have a lot of fun,” he said.
Social editor Kevin Chaffee contributed to this story.
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