Grammy-nominated country singer Ingrid Andress delivers ‘the worst national anthem EVER’ before MLB’s Home Run Derby in Texas as players struggle to contain their laughter
- Four-time Grammy nominee Ingrid Andress was chosen to sing the national anthem
- Andress struggled to keep her tone and her voice broke repeatedly
- Numerous fans online accused Ingress of producing the ‘worst anthem ever’
It’s hard to scare patriotic Texans away from The Star-Spangled Banner, but four-time Grammy nominee Ingrid Andress almost did just that before Monday’s Home Run Derby.
In what many have called “the worst national anthem ever,” the 32-year-old country singer twisted Francis Scott Key’s poem into a shrill, somber funeral march. At least one player, the Phillies’ Alec Bohm, laughed during the performance, while the crowd at Globe Life Field in Arlington quickly joined in to compete with Andress’s sharp, crackling voice.
Several fans responded on social media by sharing photos of Donald Trump’s bleeding ear from this weekend’s shooting in Pennsylvania. Others made only vague references to the failed assassination attempt, but the joke was clear nonetheless.
âIngrid Andress’s national anthem may be the worst thing to happen to America in the last 48 hours,â wrote someone on X.
Surprisingly, the All-Star crowd gave Andress a polite round of applause, though some boos could be heard occasionally during the ESPN broadcast.
Four-time Grammy nominee Ingrid Andress struggled to sing the national anthem on Monday
Several critics recalled other nightmarish performances of national anthems, such as those by Roseanne Barr, Carl Lewis and Fergie.
âThere was a real Fergie vibe in the building tonight,â read a post on Barstool Sportsâ X account.
“I’m dying of secondhand embarrassment,” wrote one fan on X. “This immediately joins the pantheon of worst sports versions of the Star Spangled Banner. Roseanne Barr and Carl Lewis will eat your heart out.”
Barr came under intense criticism after she intentionally ignored the national anthem before a San Diego Padres game in 1990. She ended her performance by screaming the last few notes and then grabbing her crotch.
Dozens – perhaps hundreds – of social media users were quick to voice their opinions on the anthem
Phillies slugger and Home Run Derby participant Alec Bohm struggled to contain his laughter
Barr later claimed that she was merely imitating a baseball player with this gesture.
Three years later, there were cheers when Olympic sprinter Carl Lewis performed his infamous rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner during a game between the Nets and the Bulls in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Fergie, a singer with the Black Eyed Peas, nearly lost her voice while singing the national anthem during the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.
She later apologized to her fans.
âI have always felt honored and proud to sing the national anthem and last night I wanted to do something special for the NBA,â she said in a 2018 statement.
“I’m an artistic risk taker, but this performance clearly didn’t strike the right note. I love this country and honestly did my best.”