During a 1980s fundraising dinner, Joe Biden singled out a black vocalist and introduced him to a crowd of Democrats and lobbyists as “Michael Jackson” and then “Prince,” two of the most famous black singers at the time.

The quip came during the $1,000-a-plate 1985 Democratic Congressional Dinner held at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., nearly 35 years ago. The event, attended overwhelmingly by white diners, was held to raise money for Democratic campaigns in the Senate and the House.