Jose Feliciano’s Star-Spangled Controversy

BROADCASTER ERNIE HARWELL RECALLS JOSE FELICIANO’S 1968 RENDITION OF THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER

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Jose Feliciano

On October 7, 1968, twenty-three-year-old singer Jose Feliciano and his guide dog walked onto the field at Tiger Stadium and sang the national anthem before Game Five of the World Series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals. Ninety-eight seconds later, he had unwittingly ignited a national controversy, derailed his career, and set in motion a series of events that would lead him to find the love of his life.

Jose had nothing but good intentions that day. He wanted

Charice Wows the NFL!

CHARICE
THE STAR-SPANGELED BANNER

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Charice Pempengco, the teen singing sensation from the Philippines

What a treat to see Charice sing at the NFL game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans today! I can sum up my reaction to her performance with one word: chills.

In a statement, the NFL said that the series of tribute games today aims to “unite fans to recognize those who lost their lives, honor the families who lost loved ones, and salute the American spirit, the early responders on 9/11, and other heroes that contributed to the nation’s recovery.”

Want more of Charice? You got it! Here she is later in the same game singing God Bless America to the

Marvin Gaye Goes Legend With the National Anthem

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Marvin Gaye sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game

I never thought one of my favorite songs would be The Star-Spangled Banner. But I find myself playing this Marvin Gaye version over and over again. It’s soulful. It’s mesmerizing. It’s electrifying.






In a first-person account, Todd Mintz described what it was like to be present for Gaye’s performance at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game. He wrote:

As Marvin was delivering that very first line, I felt like I was struck by lightning. I knew with certainty that I was witnessing something very special—a watershed cultural event that would be talked about many decades into the future.

Click on the audio player below to listen to a five-minute segment from the February 7, 2003 edition of NPR’s All Things Considered that goes behind the scenes with interviews from