A live national anthem flub prompted an apology and the possibility of a second chance for a young vocalist who’d begged, “I f**ked it up, can I go back please?”
Francis Scott Key’s poem set to music, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” is readily recognized as one of the most challenging feats for entertainers of all stripes. Loomis, who was tapped to belt out the anthem ahead of a presidential debate, claimed she didn’t know she was performing live.
Saturday on her Instagram, Loomis shared an apology in the wake of her panic-stricken rendition at the start of the Free & Equal Presidential Debate as it was broadcast live on C-SPAN.
“First off, I would like to apologize to the Free and Equal political team for this mishap, and from the bottom of my heart I wanted to apologize,” she said. “And I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to mess up the National Anthem, and I wanted to thank you guys for giving me a chance and believing in me.”
View this post on Instagram
“I was always scared I was going to fail, and then I did, and the world’s seen it. So I just wanted anybody out there who’s seen, that you can turn something negative into something positive,” Loomis went on as the caption contended, “I was a little late there and didn’t have a clear cue, which left me flustered when we went live! I know it wasn’t my best, and I’m truly sorry if it didn’t hit the mark. I take full responsibility on my part and ask that you don’t use this incident to reflect on the artist [I] am and trying to be.”
Her performance ahead of the third-party nominee debate went viral as no sooner had she sung “and the rockets red glare,” she expressed, “I f*cked it up. I f*cked it up, can I go back please?”
In response, Loomis’ jaw dropped as she was told from offscreen, “You can’t. We’re live.”
“I F—ed it up. I F—ed it up. Can I go back. Can go back, please.”
“You can’t. We’re live”
— National Anthem pic.twitter.com/HR3ikojfGc
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) October 26, 2024
Further explaining herself to TMZ, the singer detailed how sorry she was, particularly being the daughter of a veteran, and remained adamant, “I really do sing and I am really a good singer. So what had happened was I didn’t know it was live.”
“When I got to the spot and then I got nervous and then I was scared, but it was crazy,” she recalled, detailing that she’d initially begun to sing as soon as she walked out only to have to restart when she was told they weren’t yet ready to begin.
While social media users reacted to the performance, with many recalling past chart toppers for worst rendition, including Fergie’s 2018 anthem ahead of the NBA All-Star Game, Loomis told TMZ that she expected to have a chance to redeem herself on “Good Morning America” after they asked her to come on, suggesting the mishap could prove a net positive for her career.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity and all the love and support I’ve received,” she added in her post. “I’m taking this as a lesson learned, and I can’t wait to come back even stronger.”
I know Fergie is somewhere smiling hard af right now bc she no longer has the worst national anthem performance in history
— Jordan (@jordansveto) October 26, 2024
her handling of this just gave me too much secondhand embarrassment, I don’t think I can watch this clip more than once omg
— Khaleesi ✨ (@TheDejaKing) October 26, 2024
I didn’t see this live but honestly, I kinda respect what she did.
She cared, she wanted it perfect, and got overly nervous.
I will take this performance of our anthem over a whole lotta others.Not sure who she even is but thank you so much for caring.
— Michael (@goflyers30) October 26, 2024
Nah this was fine. Bout sums up the state of our country.
— 1DC (@1DigitalCrypto) October 27, 2024
In contrast, the MLB shared one of the most stirring renditions of the national anthem as performed in spoken word by the legendary James Earl Jones at the 1993 All-Star Game in Baltimore, Maryland to honor his passing.
RIP James Earl Jones, the legendary actor who memorably appeared in the iconic baseball movies “Field of Dreams” and “The Sandlot”
Jones gave a moving recitation of our National Anthem at the 1993 MLB All-Star Game in Baltimore pic.twitter.com/1rFfxe5IFY
— MLB (@MLB) September 9, 2024
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Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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