May 4, 2005

By Rebecca Gladden

Several weeks ago, I penned a column about the performance of our National Anthem by celebrities during NASCAR pre-race ceremonies.

The column was provoked by a particularly embarrassing rendition of the song from country singer John Michael Montgomery, who not only sang horribly off-key, but had to read the lyrics from a placard, and failed to remove his hat during his performance. In response to heavy criticism, Mr. Montgomery issued an apology, in which he blamed a health condition for his difficulties.

In my article, I offered a humble suggestion to racetrack administrators that all future performances of the anthem be carried out by military groups, in an attempt to ensure that the song would be sung or played properly and treated with respect.

That article stimulated an avalanche of email. The vast majority of readers agreed with my assessment, some quite passionately, that this problem requires immediate attention.

The most impassioned responses came from military personnel, both active and retired, who take this entire issue quite personally. Once you lay your life on the line for your country, the anthem stirs emotions in you that others simply take for granted.

The biggest complaint voiced by readers was the desire of singers to "make the anthem their own," American-Idol-style, altering and embellishing the melody and pacing of the song until it is almost unrecognizable. Many of you also complained about televised images of some NASCAR drivers and crew members talking, laughing and fidgeting during the anthem, at times looking incredibly bored with the whole thing.

In fairness, some of you also pointed out that the anthem has been performed admirably by non-military personnel. One of those singers is Daniel Rodriguez, the wonderful "singing policeman" from the NYPD, who inspired the nation with his reverent a capella performance of the Star-Spangled Banner in the days following 9-11-01.

This year, Mr. Rodriguez was chosen to sing the anthem at the Subway Fresh 500 Nextel Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway in April.

But a funny thing happened at the track that night.

Mr. Rodriguez started singing the anthem as usual. His full, rich voice rang through the desert air like a resonant mission bell.

But after the first few lines, the PA system cut out along the entire frontstretch of the track. The crowd could only hear faint remnants of the singer's voice from distant speakers, as if he were singing miles away.

A few nervous seconds passed. Then, a small group of fans started singing the anthem aloud. The spark spread like a brisk brushfire, fanned by the winds of patriotism. Suddenly, the voices of tens of thousands of people rose in the night air, in an unexpected display of pride and unity.

On television, the FOX broadcasters were stunned by the spontaneous chorus, heaping praise on the fans who had taken up where the PA system had left off.

Sadly, race fans singing the National Anthem is now considered a rare event.

It's not that the fans don't want to sing the anthem. Judging by my email and by the events in Phoenix, there is - and always has been - a heartfelt desire to do so.

But these days, it is virtually impossible to sing along with the exotic renditions that so often result from celebrity performances of the song.

After Phoenix, I started thinking about sporting events that I had watched or attended as a child. In my distant memory, I recall a time when every sporting event started with the National Anthem sung in unison by the fans. And as some of you pointed out, that is still the case at your small local tracks.

Indeed, there was a time when no one saw the need for the anthem to be "performed" by celebrities. The melody was played in the background and the song was sung by the people in attendance, their eyes appropriately focused on the American flag, not on the pop singer du jour.

Isn't that as it should be? The singing of the National Anthem should be a participatory event, not a passive one.

With this in mind, I would like to revise my previous proposal.

Effective immediately, I urge track executives everywhere to dispense with the hiring of celebrities to perform the National Anthem. Just play the music, and let those in attendance (NASCAR drivers and crew members included), provide the vocals.

This would completely eliminate the risk of poor performances and the accompanying outrage of fans. Many of you described some of the celebrity anthem renditions you have heard as: horrible, disgraceful, disrespectful, pitiful, sickening, disturbing, terrible, embarrassing, pathetic, awful, disgusting, a "butchering," and so on.

Question to Track Owners and Public Relations Executives: Are those the words that you want associated with the National Anthem performance at your track?

The privilege of singing the National Anthem was taken away from the people without their consent. Giving it back would be an eminently popular move among race fans, who are tired of seeing the anthem tread upon in favor of a few fleeting moments of celebrity ballyhoo.

The National Anthem should be sung by the people, not at them.

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.