And the Pianist Played On . . .

Shawn King, Russell Simmons (Matthew Cavanaugh for the Washington Post; Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

Smile though your heart is aching -- and sing though your pianist can't hear you. Shawn King got an unintentional laugh while crooning a poignant ballad at a save-the-kids gala Tuesday night. At the Children Uniting Nations dinner at the State Department -- part of a Russell Simmons celebrity-advocate confab (Vivica Fox, Terrence Howard, Gabrielle Union), Larry King's wife took the mike to sing "Smile." Midway through: "I'm going to do it a cappella." But her pianist, Sarge, also the night's comic emcee, kept playing. "Sarge, I'm good," King insisted, drawing giggles. He kept on. Later, he told our colleague Timothy Wilson he couldn't hear: The piano was tucked in a corner far from the singer.