The death of singer Whitney Houston at age 48 was a reminder of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl in 1991, perhaps the greatest version ever sung before a sporting event. What are the five most memorable sports renditions of the anthem?
5. Wayne Messmer » What made the Chicago singer’s version at the 1991 NHL All-Star Game so memorable was the reaction of the fans. They roared throughout and waved flags in an emotional release two days after the United States launched Operation Desert Storm.
4. Jose Feliciano » At the 1968 NBA All-Star Game in Detroit, the Puerto Rican singer thrilled some Americans and infuriated others with his acoustic guitar version. Heard now, you have to wonder what was all the fuss.
3. Marvin Gaye » Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Julius Erving and David Thompson were in the starting lineups, but the star of the 1983 NBA All-Star Game at the Forum in Los Angeles was Gaye. His slow, soulful version had fans clapping in unison.
2. Linda Ronstadt » Standing alone in center field before Game 3 of the 1977 World Series in Los Angeles, Ronstadt made a splash wearing jeans and a Dodgers warmup jacket. It was such a hit, Ronstadt wore a similar satin jacket — along with short shorts, kneepads and roller skates — on the cover of her 1978 album, “Living in the USA.”
1. Whitney Houston » With the United States 10 days into the Gulf War, emotions were high before the Bills-Giants Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla. Houston’s restrained, respectful, yet soaring version demonstrated her incredible talent. Frank Gifford called it “the most electric moment I’ve ever seen in sports.”
– Kevin Dunleavy
