A Different Kind of Star-Spangled Banner
Since its inception in 1814, the U.S. National Anthem has been sung and covered numerous times throughout our history. Artist’s such as Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Neil Young, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, and many others have given their distinctive take on this iconic tune. However, not too long ago, when tradition was upheld and treasured more than anything, it was expected that artists not deviate from the original form. It was in the 1960’s, as norms changed and culture evolved, that a musician came along to disrupt the molds of the time.
During the 1968 World Series, between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals, then 23 year-old singer-songwriter, Jose Feliciano, performed the national anthem. Feliciano had caught the eye of late Tiger’s announcer, Ernie Harwell, after creating a strong buzz by playing coffee houses around the Greenwich Village area, winning two Grammy awards, and having a No. 3 single on pop radio charts; a rising star for sure. According to Harwell, “I heard about this young Puerto Rican, blind, who had burst on the scene…" and having been tasked with recruiting a national anthem singer for the game, he immediately thought of Feliciano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQkY2UFBUb4&feature=emb_title
Feliciano walked onto the field with his guide dog, an acoustic guitar, and a desire to express his interpretation of the nations most treasured song. Though his singing and guitar chords followed the basic foundation of the composition, he took some liberties ad-libbing extra syllables and melodic motives, adding slight reharmonization with the chords, and bending the melody to his will in certain spots. What resulted was a poignant, understated, soulful folk rendition of the anthem. To our modern ears and sensibilities, it is nothing revelatory. However in 1968, this performance had polarized the crowd, as never before had people heard of a rendition of the anthem that was not sung straight. Furthermore, the U.S. was going through one of its hardest years in history from things such as the Vietnam War, MLK and Robert Kennedy’s assassination, and rampant race riots across cities. People were anxious and tense.
After Feliciano finished, a mixture of ‘boos’ and cheers could be heard from the stands. Both the audience and the baseball players had conflicting views and impressions of Feliciano’s performance. The New York Times was one of the few outlets that gave a more moderate reaction, stating “our national anthem has been put through 1,001 transfigurations and disfigurations. The nation will no doubt survive the latest controversial version too.” Feliciano’s rendition polarized the radio stations too. Some would play his track non-stop and others refused to play any of his music anymore. In his words, “I call that the bittersweet part of my life…but I have no anger. God has been with me.”
50 years later, Feliciano has said he has no regrets regarding this performance. He accomplished his goal of performing a version of America’s song in a way that was meaningful and patriotic to him, and inspired others as well. Time now shows that he was a pioneer who unknowingly opened the gate to others to give their unique take of the national anthem. Feliciano’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner remains my favorite to this day, for its raw, soulful feel, and innovative take on a cornerstone of our culture.
Citations
George, Alice. “For 50 Years, José Feliciano's Version of the National Anthem Has Given Voice to Immigrant Pride.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 15 June 2018, www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/for-50-years-jose-felicianos-soulful-take-national-anthem-given-pride-immigrant-pride-180969380/.
Halberstam , David J. “Jose Feliciano Archives.” Sports Broadcast Journal, Sports Broadcast Journal , 26 Oct. 2018, www.sportsbroadcastjournal.com/tag/jose-feliciano/.
Handel, Craig. “Jose Feliciano Paid a Price When He Sang National Anthem 50 Years Ago, but He Has No Regrets.” Press, The News-Press, 5 Oct. 2018, www.news-press.com/story/entertainment/2018/10/05/jose-feliciano-paid-price-when-he-sang-national-anthem-1968/1514370002/.
Mather, Victor. “A Polarizing Anthem Performance - by Jose Feliciano in 1968.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Oct. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/06/sports/baseball/national-anthem.html.
Weber, Roger. “The 1968 National Anthem Performance That Changed José Feliciano's Life.” The 1968 National Anthem Performance That Changed José Feliciano's Life | Only A Game, WBUR, 12 Apr. 2019, www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2019/04/12/jose-feliciano-susan-tigers-world-series.