Fergie joins this list of those who’ve mangled 'The Star-Spangled Banner'
WATCH O Say Can You Sing the National Anthem?
President Herbert Hoover must be spinning in his grave from the havoc he wreaked by signing a congressional act 87 years ago making “The Star-Spangled Banner” the official national anthem of the United States.
The 31st U.S. president gave license to crooners and wailers alike to have their way with the song, as comedian Roseanne Barr once did, long before Fergie dropped the ball at Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game.
Who saw Fergie's national anthem performance at the NBA All Star Game? I think mine was better lowkey
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) February 19, 2018
.@Fergie takes on the National Anthem at last night's @NBA All-Star Game – but not everybody was cheering: https://t.co/ZRZUWLRs2F@NBAAllStar #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/0cl9WhOIPz
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 19, 2018
It has been thoroughly butchered enough times over the years to raise questions about the sanity of all but those blessed with the truest voices and sharpest memories, like the late Whitney Houston, who dare risk the public shame and humiliation.
But that hasn’t stopped them, and even the most accomplished of performers like Steven Tyler have fallen painfully short (see other videos below).
Mangled lyrics and cracked voices aside, "The Star-Spangled Banner” — written in Baltimore Sept. 14, 1814, by lawyer Francis Scott Key — has been the national anthem since March 3, 1931.
That’s more than enough time, unintentionally or otherwise, to trample all over its majesty. Here are other examples:
(And please let us know if we’ve missed any.)
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