Country star Ingrid Andress strikes out with fans after anthem disaster at Home Run Derby

Article content

One social-media user dubbed it the “Star Strangled Banner” and we’ll agree that’s about as good a description as any for the latest botched national anthem at a sporting event.

This one came courtesy of a supposed four-time Grammy nominee, which only serves to make us wonder if us mere mortals could also score Grammy recognition if we wanted it.

Budding American country star Ingrid Andress took the mike to sing her rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner ahead of Monday night’s MLB Home Run Derby in Arlington, Texas, part of the All-Star Game festivities.

Let’s just say she didn’t exactly knock it out of the park.

“4-time Grammy Nominee. 0-time Winner & we can all see why,” one predictably ruthless social-media commentor said on X.

“Probably the worst we’ve ever heard,” added another.

“Made fergie sound like whitney houston,” yet another user said in reference to the Black Eyed Peas singer’s all-time brutal rendition of the national anthem at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.

That’s to suggest that Andress isn’t the first to put up a losing score in front of a televised audience while singing the national anthem and she won’t be the last.

When referencing recent anthem flubs, Christian Kramer’s rendition of O Canada immediately comes to mind. He forgot the words, mid-song, and tried to improvise, failing big time at a Buffalo Sabres game last November.

Greg Bartholomew will forever be a favourite among the awful efforts with all bets being off when it came to his delivery ahead of a CFL game in Las Vegas in the 1990s.

Roseanne Barr tried to hit the high notes at the end of the U.S. national anthem before a San Diego Padres game in 1990 and it’s a small wonder the singing of that anthem wasn’t forever banned on the spot.

Country star and Texan Cody Johnson is scheduled to perform the national anthem at Globe Life Field ahead of Tuesday’s All-Star Game and he won’t exactly have big boots to fill.