Where Does James Taylor Rank Among National Anthem Fails?
Photo: Ron Vesely/ Getty Images| Licensed to Alpha Media Group 2013
"The Star Spangled Banner" is a notoriously tough song to sing, whatever the circumstances. For every Marvin Gaye or Whitney Houston, there are handfuls of overmatched belters – whether professional or not – who crack under the pressure of tackling the National Anthem before a big crowd. In light of all this, James Taylor’s performance before game two of the World Series at Fenway Park last night wasn’t really that bad; he merely seemed to forget what song he was singing, launching into “America the Beautiful” before deftly transitioning into the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
Nice recovery, Jimbo! Of course, there are a number of ways a singer can botch the song, so we’ve broken them down into several categories. Enjoy! (Just kidding – these are almost impossible to enjoy).
PROFESSIONAL SINGERS FORGETTING THE WORDS
Jesse McCartney
Michael Bolton
Eli Young Band
AMATEURS FORGETTING THE WORDS, FORGETTING THEM AGAIN, AND THEN FALLING ON THEIR ASS:
AMATEURS FORGETTING THE WORDS, BUT BEING HEART-WARMINGLY RESCUED BY MO CHEEKS:
SINGERS GETTING THE WORDS RIGHT BUT ABSOLUTELY BUTCHERING THE PERFORMANCE:
Harper Gruzin
This cop committing police brutality
Roseanne Bar
AND, FINALLY, THE PERFECT STORM:
Carl Lewis
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