“The Star-Spangled Banner” – José Feliciano

@Rutterman I lived through it, watched it live. (Not at the game but on live TV) The press made it out to be worse than it was. How many booed? How may cheered and shouted play ball? Just how many calls constitute a "flood"? What percentage of the 4-5 million area residence and the nationwide audience who were listening to or watching the first Tiger World series in a generation would that be? His version of the anthem played on every news show/talk show/and radio station in the Detroit area. Letters to the editor? How many positive letters got published? The editors who decide which letters to publish are the media.

Controversy sells, and the media looks to maximize sales. "If it bleeds it leads". To the extent it hurt Feliciano's career, that is a shame. The media tried hard to make it into some kind of shit-storm. They were the ones doing the "documenting".

In spite of this, Feliciano's version quickly became one of the most beloved versions of the Anthem.

I have lived through events, been quoted and misquoted in newspapers by people/reporters who never even bothered to talk to me. When confronted one said "Well, it's what we thought you would have said if we did talk with you."

If you come to the conclusion that I mistrust the media you would be correct. I absolutely know better than to trust them.

@bowman81 So, you believe it was basically a media-generated controversy, stoked by unscrupulous people in the industry who wanted to sensationalize and hype a story.

All I can say is if multiple sources (which included Feliciano himself) gave consistent accounts of negative reactions to the singer's rendition of the anthem in 1968, I have a hard time dismissing those accounts as grossly distorted or untrue.

@Rutterman What I am saying is the media stoked the "outrage" all out of proportion. That there was less public outrage than they portrayed. I know there was no outrage in my circle of friends and relatives in the '68 Detroit Metropolitan area.

It was a time of real corruption particularly in the Music/Radio industry (the Media). They decided to kill his music. Payola was the norm to get airtime. It wasn't the public who hurt Feliciano it was the industry who actively chose winners and losers based on how much money greased their pockets.

Was the dog wagging its tail or did the tail wag the dog? In the 60's music industry it was definitely the tail (media) that wagged the dog. Your stuff didn't get played without their say so.

https://www.realclearhistory.com/2022/02/11/what_was_the_payola_scandal_816266.html

@Piper I feel the same way. It's a beautiful rendition. I also dislike most stylized versions of the anthem. It seems like the performers often use it as a vehicle to showcase their vocal skills, which really isn't appropriate in my opinion.

It is indeed a shame that some thought his version was "disgraceful" and "disrespectful" and that his career suffered for it. Few people, if any, would find it objectionable today.

@Rutterman I feel the same way about performers using any song, really, in a way that strikes me as more showing off their vocal skills, than singing a song with any real feeling.

@ElwoodBlues It's a powerful version, for sure.

She was an incredible performer and is still missed by many of us. 😞

@Pretzel It's definitely not controversial anymore. In fact, a recording of Feliciano’s performance is now on permanent exhibit in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Roseanne Barr's performance seemed to be universally hated, and rightly so.

I love Ray Charles' version of America the Beautiful. It's the best one, in my opinion.