[6] Lucy Monroe sang the national anthem for every Opening Day and World Series held at Yankee Stadium from 1945 through 1960.
One of the most notable renditions of the anthem was Jimi Hendrix's solo guitar performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival, captured on the documentary film of the event.
After singer Whitney Houston's stirring performance of the anthem at Super Bowl XXV in 1991, her live version was released as a charity single to raise funds for soldiers (and their families) involved in the Persian Gulf War.
[16] The performance caused some controversy, as it was accompanied by step dancers and Kelly told the audience to "clap your hands, y'all" (as if at a concert) during the anthem.
[20] Canadian-born Robert Goulet forgot the lyrics when invited to sing the anthem before a Muhammad Ali championship bout in the 1960s.
"[22] Perhaps the most notorious rendition of the national anthem was sung by comedian Roseanne Barr at a San Diego Padres baseball game in July 1990.
Barr screeched the lyrics out loud (claiming that there was an audio problem) as the crowd heckled her and threw objects onto the field in her direction in disgust.
She also made several gestures associated with baseball players (such as adjusting one's protective cup and spitting on the ground), which further drew widespread complaints, including those from President George H. W. Bush.
[21] Twenty-two years later, during Barr's Comedy Central Roast, she closed her routine by singing the lines of the anthem that were not sung during the infamous performance.
[23] In 1993, Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis attempted to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before a New Jersey Nets game.
ESPN SportsCenter anchor Charley Steiner described Lewis' version of the national anthem as being written by "Francis Scott Off-Key".
[24] Singer John Amirante performed a stirring rendition of the Canadian and American national anthems before the New York Rangers' win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals.
[30] At the 2001 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Macy Gray was booed after stumbling over the words and singing offbeat.
[citation needed] Before an April 25, 2003 NBA playoff game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Dallas Mavericks, 13-year-old Natalie Gilbert forgot the words "At the twilight's last gleaming", and Trail Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks rushed over to help her and they finished it together, the entire Rose Garden Arena crowd accompanying them.
[32][33] When performing the anthem before a game of the 2003 American League Championship Series at Fenway Park, singer Michael Bolton briefly forgot the lyrics and had to look at his hand, where he had apparently written them down for reference.
[38] At a December 5, 2010 NFL game between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs, the Eli Young Band botched the lyrics at the beginning of the third line of the song and was met with boos.
[citation needed] Pop singer Christina Aguilera sang the anthem at Super Bowl XLV in February 2011, but changed the lyrics of the fourth line from "o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming" to an alteration of the second line, "what so proudly we watched at the twilight's last gleaming".
[41] Before Game 5 of the 2014 World Series, Staind lead singer Aaron Lewis omitted the words "at the twilight's last gleaming" when singing the anthem.
[43] At the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby, country artist Ingrid Andress sang the anthem completely off-key.