Worst National Anthem Singers

Worst national anthem singers

This month we celebrate the 80th anniversary of our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," and in honor of that we're taking a look back at some of the most memorable, yet ear-wrenching, renditions of the infamous song.

Christina Aguilera

Pop singer Christina Aguilera snagged the coveted gig at Super Bowl XLV. But it was her botching of the lyrics that made headlines for weeks after.

Carl Lewis

Former Olympic sprinter Carl Lewis may be lightning-fast on the track, but he will never be able to outrun his 1993 blundering of the national anthem at an NBA game. Ear-shattering vocals aside, midway through the song Lewis lost his place and made a promise to the booing crowd.

Roseanne Barr

America's favorite brusque-tongued working TV mother, Roseanne Barr, put her acting skills to work with her infamous 1990 torturing of the national anthem at a San Diego Padres game.

Hillary Clinton

Some have called former first lady  Hillary Clinton's rendition of the patriotic ditty the most off-tune ever recorded. A mic happened to catch Clinton at a 2007 campaign stop in Iowa earnestly belting out the lyrics.

R. Kelly

It could have been the high-profile scandal the R&B singer was embroiled in at the time of his 2005 anthem performance at a boxing match that drew so much criticism.

Kat DeLuna

Dominican R&B sensation Kat DeLuna's self-proclaimed soprano vocals must have failed her during her warbled performance at a 2008 Dallas Cowboys game.

Cuba Gooding Sr.

The father of this Oscar winner didn't score any praise for his take on the anthem.  The Main Ingredient lead singer's rendition hit all the wrong notes and showcases some forgotten words at a 2008 basketball tournament.

Michael Bolton

Sexy balladeer Michael Bolton  was mercilessly ridiculed for his 2003 performance at a Red Sox-Yankees game.  When he couldn't remember the lyrics, the 1990s soft rock star relied on a cheat sheet.

Caroline Marcil

Canadian singer Caroline Marcil suffered extreme humiliation at a 2004 Canada-USA hockey game. Read what she said later about the embarrassing incident.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

The late blues guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan strummed the cords to "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a 1985 Houston Astros game, but his delivery didn't hit a home run. He later made a confession.

Leslie Nielsen

Yes, it's fiction, but it's hard to leave out this classic scene in the 1988 comedy film "The Naked Gun"  when late funny man Leslie Nielsen belts out a garbled version of the song as a befuddled cop pretending to be singer Enrico Palazzo.

Keri Hilson

She may be a prolific songwriter, but Keri Hilson missed the mark when she butchered the lyrics to the anthem last April at a Los Angeles Lakers game. She quickly sent out a tweet to explain what had happened.

Scott Stapp

He is the Grammy-winning voice of a rock band, but frontman Scott Stapp disappointed audiences at 2005 NASCAR event.

Steven Tyler

New "American Idol" judge and Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler took his own share of criticism for his 2001 rendition of the patriotic song at the Indianapolis 500. His unique voice is perhaps best suited for shrieking "Walk This Way" and "Cryin'."

Aaron Neville, Aretha Franklin & Dr. John

With these powerhouses of song -- soul queen Aretha Franklin and New Orleans natives Aaron Neville and Dr. John -- crowds wrongly expected a stellar performance at the 2006 Super Bowl.

Jesse McCartney

Actor and pop star started off well, but soon the performance turned into an anthem fail at a NASCAR race in 2009. 

 

Source:specials