Posted on 07/04/2014 7:21:01 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
With today being the Fourth of July and all, I feel it’s my civic duty to unite us, if but for a short time, with the one act of blind patriotism we can all get behind: counting down the most over-the-top, overwhelming renditions of the national anthem, as performed by Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, and the rest of your favorite divas of pop music. (In no particular order, of course, so please don’t tweet me death threats. Thanks!)
To clarify, by national anthem I mean “The Star-Spangled Banner” only. (As in, the actual, official national anthem.) That means that neither Aretha Franklin singing “My Country, ‘Tis Of Thee” at the 2009 presidential inauguration nor the bejeweled-bow hat she wore at said inauguration are on the list. Pour out a vial of eagle tears in mourning, and move past it. Your country needs you. Please rise.
(Excerpt) Read more at mtv.com ...
Christina Aguilera at the 2011 Super Bowl.
Absolutely the WORST.
(Not counting Rosanne Barr, but she doesn’t count.)
That woman from “Heart” sure butchered it at the last Super Bowl.
Didn’t Margaret Cho slaughter the anthem once?
This is one of the BEST male renditions of the national anthem IMHO.
JOSH GROBAN:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYzcB_6BCVs
I think I’ve heard a Whitney Houston version that is actually very good, but it’s definitely not that one. And the outfit she’s wearing ...
A great A capella solo version of the anthem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoBX-Lty_BE
And a great GROUP a capella:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCmk88S2sdQ
Sandi Patty is well known for her wide vocal range and expressive flexibility which has led music critics to dub her “The Voice”.
As for Whitney Houston’s rendition, that was one the best ever ( before she met Bobby Brown ). What a tragic life.
Whitney Houston the best. Very sad she got hooked on drugs.
Agree.
He has a nice voice, but I don’t care for the tempo or the phrasing. (JMHO)
Last Friday, I coached an 8 year old girl to do the Anthem at her swim meet. In the One-Hour time I had to get her ready, we explored the history of the song, the melody, the timing, the phrasing, and recorded a piano accompaniment on her iphone. She plugged the phone into the sound system, and her dad recorded her performance. It was traditional, unadorned , and flawless.
The trick is to understand what the song means, and that it is NOT just an opportunity to show off one’s vocal prowess (or lack thereof! :-) )
That being said, the preponderance of female performers who embellish the song in the “Soul” style bear absolutely NO connection to the meaning of the song and hint of a political agenda behind the choices of the producers of these events!
Topping the Whitney Houston version will probably not happen in our lifetimes. It was magnificent.
Donna Summer (A gal from my old neighborhood who made it!) RIP, GF.
“http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PItHw8a7MIQ";
Cactus Cuties 4th of July on the 700 club.
Whitney? Beyonce? Phashawwwwww
No.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.