Love Jim Cornelsion. The Ottawa Senators have a great anthem singer in Lyndon Slewridge and of course there was the late Roger Doucet of the Montreal Canadiens.
I realize this is supposed to be about the Americun national anthem and the popstars that sing them, but I have to chime in with Ireland’s call before a Rugby match (eventhough it’s not strictly the national anthem). This is what sports is about, passionate fans and passionate players… not the latest semi finalist on The Voice.
The answer is goddamn Whitney Houston. I’m not gunning for any “Well everyone’s going to say her now because it’s always been a popular answer, but now even more so after she died” points. The National Anthem is a great song that is goddamn impossible to sing well, but Ms. Houston handled it like it showed up with a knife to a gunfight.
Marvin Gaye’s was great, and Huey Lewis and the News indeed delivered an outstanding performance (never saw it until just now – thanks!), but Whitney Houston takes this category.
Pop-idiosyncratic renditions of the National Anthem at sporting events may not have absolutely originated withJosé Feliciano’s 1968 Tiger Stadium version and it may not be the greatest interpretation, but definitely was the one that put the notion on the map (and caught what 40 years later seems like a stupid degree of flak for it… if those audiences only knew what was in the future… today it seems like no biggie).
Nah, the Welsh have them beat. Just watch any Welsh home rugby match for performances like this. Oh there’s about 60 seconds of ‘God save the Queen’ first.
trumpeter tommy loy played it beautifully before superbowl V, and at many cowboy’s home games before that. can’t find a video of it. wish they had the grambling band at halftime instead of madonna…
For the straight sung as it was written Linda Ronstadt in a walk.
If you want the Craig Shoemaker “Lovemaster” Hollywood version. Then Whitney.
Hendrix at Woodstock.
I know that doesn’t count as a sporting event, but I don’t care, it’s the only version of the US national anthem that ever meant anything to me.
I’ve got a soft spot for the Cactus Cuties. Seen 'em live, since they’re local, and while live is always best, this video is pretty fair.
+1
Although, you could have said ANY Blackhawk’s game in the nineties when Messmer belted it out at the old Chicago Stadium.
The A’s really like that one, too, because they’ll play A RECORDING OF IT before ballgames sometimes. We went to some random Tuesday night game at the Coliseum and the PA guy says “And now, singing the Nation Anthem, Huey Lewis and the News!”
We were astonished that they’d be there for such a non-event, until we realized that they in fact, weren’t.
Haven’t seen that since 1991. I have to admit, that may just be the winner.
Anybody have the clip from the NBA of a coach helping a young girl that forgot the lyrics? That one was pretty memorable (although obviously not for “quality of singing” reasons).
I personally really like the Gaye version and the Messmer one…
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There are no “versions” of the National Anthem. There is one song that is the National Anthem, and if you slow it down, speed it up, or change pitches, you aren’t singing it.
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That’s just silly talk. Especially if you think that changing the tempo makes it a different song entirely. What is the “proper” tempo for the National Anthem, pray tell?
Maybe he’s referring to drastic tempo changes throughout the performance. It doesn’t need to be metronome-like, but it should be fairly steady. Or possibly altering the time signature. There’s at least one example where the performer clumsily shoehorns it into 4/4 by stretching out one beat per measure.
I certainly hate it when someone alters the notes or timing. It doesn’t sound artistic at all. It sounds like an inexperienced singer hunting for the right note.
My favorite version wasn’t before a sporting event. It was the Philip Glass Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl.
The only version of that lame tune I can stomach is Marvin Gaye’s.
I think you might have to split the contest into two separate categories - best traditional version, and best creative version. Marvin Gaye wins best creative version hands down for me, but you can’t really compare what he did with what Wayne Messmer did.