The United States president Barack Obama said, he is sad that one of his and the first lady's favorite traditions, musical night at the White House, ended.

The president and his wife, Michelle, have reserved certain evenings over the past eight years to celebrate music. They held big blowout concerts spotlighting classic, blues, country, Broadway, Motown, gospel, Latin and jazz either inside the White House or out on the lawn.

The tradition ended Friday as Obama kicked off his final musical night, BET's "Love and Happiness" event in a tent on the South Lawn.

"We've had Bob Dylan and we've had Jennifer Hudson. Gloria Estefan and Los Lobos. Aretha, Patti, Smokey," Obama said to open the show. "I've had Paul McCartney singing 'Michelle' to Michelle and Stevie singing 'Happy Birthday."

'"We've had Buddy Guy and Mick Jagger getting me to sing 'Sweet Home Chicago,"' he continued. "So this has been one of our favorite traditions, and it's with a little bit of bittersweetness that this is our final musical evening as president and first lady."

Obama described the ability to summon celebrities as "one of the perks of the job that I will most, along with Air Force One, and Marine One," the presidential helicopter. "You know, if you can just call up Usher and say, 'Hey, come on over'.”

"It's a mirror to who we are, and a reminder of who we can be," Obama added. "That's what American music's all about."

Nandini