CMT Blog: Archive

In an interview several years ago, Reba McEntire told me the national anthem isn't a particularly difficult song to sing. However, enough celebrities have embarrassed themselves while performing the song to prompt Time magazine to compile a list of the Top 10 worst renditions. (The list includes Michael Bolton, R. Kelly and, of course, Rosanne Barr.) McEntire's point, though, was that the national anthem's reputation as a hard song to perform is because most people don't sing it all that often. She added that even when professional singers perform the song, it's usually a high-pressure situation at a major sporting event. And we all know that PA systems at stadiums are designed for spoken announcements, not music. However, singer-songwriter Keni Thomas turned in a remarkable performance in New York prior to Wednesday night's (Oct. 28) World Series opener at Yankee Stadium. As a former Army Ranger and member of the elite Task Force Ranger assault unit, Thomas was an excellent choice to be featured in the tribute to our nation's veterans. You can check out the performance at Thomas' official Web site. I'm assuming he stuck around to see the Philadelphia Phillies trounce the Yankees in a 6-1 win.