Watch dad sing national anthem from stands after audio fails at Ohio HS basketball game
One proud father is getting recognition for saving the day at his son’s high school basketball game.
Just before tipoff between the Waverly High Tigers and the Portsmouth West High Senators in West Portsmouth, Ohio, the sound system experienced technical difficulties during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” so Trenton Brown stepped up.
“I looked over at the announcer and the music didn’t play and didn’t play and I looked over and he was getting a little frustrated. My wife gave me a little nudge and said ‘Sing’ and I said, ‘All right,’” Brown told CNN.
Signing the national anthem — even for seasoned professionals — can cause the jitters, but Brown, who told CNN that he had been singing most of his life, was poised and pitch-perfect as he beltedout the anthem on the fly.
The performance was recorded by another father in attendance, Johnny Futhey, and it quickly went viral after he posted it to his Facebook page. As of Monday, Futhey’s video has been shared 25,000 times and liked over 71,000 on The National Desk Facebook page. People in the comment sections were immediate fans of Brown.
“I NOMINATE TRENTON BROWN TO SING OUR ANTHEM AT THE SUPERBOWL!!” said one Facebook user. “LET’S GET IT GOING!!!! THANK YOU, SIR!!”
“Wow what an amazing dad!!” said another comment. “Very powerful & beautiful for you to do this. It’s just what everyone needs to hear right now across America to lift spirits everywhere. It gave me chills & touched my heart A wonderful memory made for all who hear it!! Thank you for posting to share it with everyone!! Loved it!!
Some praised Brown’s singing style.
“Wow. Most intentional prepared renditions suck to flowery more about the singer then the song,” said another admirer. “He somehow sang it with just the right amount of flair and kept it pure!”
And of course, someone pointed out what everyone basically thought when watching the video.
“GIVE THIS MAN A RECORD DEAL ASAP.”
It’s easy for people to criticize those who mess up the anthem, but most don’t understand the challenges that come when attempting to perform the piece. The anthem has a significant octave-and-a-half range, which is “far beyond the average person’s non-trained singing voice,” according to Wayne Messer, a musician who sings the anthem at Northwestern University, Northwestern Now reported.
This story was originally published December 7, 2020 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Watch dad sing national anthem from stands after audio fails at Ohio HS basketball game."