Country singer Ingrid Andress’ performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Monday night at MLB’s Home Run Derby in Arlington, Texas, has been been universally roasted.
With painful pauses, the Grammy-nominated singer’s a cappella version has been called “the Star-Strangled Banner” and worse on social media.
By Monday afternoon, Andress released a statement that she had been drunk for the performance and was headed to a rehab facility.
“I’m not gonna (BS) y’all, I was drunk last night. I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need,” she wrote on X. “That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this country I love so much for that rendition. I’ll let y’all know how rehab is I hear it’s super fun.”
There have been controversial versions in the past: Jose Feliciano’s rendition of the national anthem at the 1968 World Series almost got him blacklisted, and Jimi Hendrix’s psychedelic performance at Woodstock in 1969 drew flak for its unorthodox take on the song.
And there have been plenty of mistakes, including crooner Michael Bolton forgetting the words and having to look at them on his hand, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler changing the lyrics and Christina Aguilera flubbing the second verse at Super Bowl XLV with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers.
But Andress enters some notorious company when it comes to all-time “bad” performances, with the likes of Roseanne Barr, Carl Lewis and Fergie:
Roseanne Barr
Comedian Roseanne Barr plugged her own ears during a shrill, off-pitch version of the national anthem ahead of a San Diego Padres-Cincinnati Reds game on July 25, 1990. Her performance, which drew hearty boos, culminated with a crotch grab and spitting on the mound.
Barr had some fans outraged at the perceived disrespect, with even President George H.W. Bush calling it “disgraceful.” On a more comedic note, “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson said “the closest sound I heard was when I got my cat neutered.”
“I apologize that people were so appalled,” Barr told the Associated Press in 1990, adding “If this is the worst thing they ever heard, they’ve had it really easy.”
An oral history of the incident by The Sporting News goes much further into the reaction and fallout from Barr’s performance.
Carl Lewis
In an NBA game on Jan. 27, 1993, between the Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets, Olympic great Carl Lewis proved he should have stayed in his lane as a track star instead of venturing into singing.
His version, which featured an “uh oh” and an “I’ll make up for it now,” had some players stifling laughter with their faces buried in their warm-up suits.
ESPN’s Charley Steiner, who failed to hold in his laughter on “SportsCenter”, described Lewis’ version as “written by Francis Scott Off Key.”
Fergie
Fergie, a singer for the Black Eyed Peas, attempted a seductive, sultry version of the national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18, 2018, with some drawing comparisons to Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday” for President John F. Kennedy.
On the halftime show, Shaquille O’Neal defended the “sexy” version, with Charles Barkley saying “I need a cigarette after that.”
Afterwards, Fergie apologized: “I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. … I love this country and honestly tried my best.”
