Eric Burton, who was nominated for a Grammy but did not win the award, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the first game of the World Series on Friday night between Houston and Philadelphia. But he forgot the lyrics.
The Black Pumas band leader got lost on the second line as the players and staff lined up on the field for the traditional pre-game ceremony. In the outfield, a massive American flag was being unfurled. He sang, “What so triumphantly we hail’d at the twilight’s final flowing” rather than “gleaming,” which was the correct word. Must Check Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’ Trailer
He then proceeded in the proper direction by saying, “Whose broad stripes and bright stars during the dangerous conflict.” Then, however, instead of singing, “O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?” he backtracked to “What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s end,” before once again singing “streaming” instead of “gleaming.”
Grammy-nominated singer Eric Burton botches National Anthem at World Series https://t.co/Ydnf5tisea pic.twitter.com/fNNXqzBdVK
— New York Post (@nypost) October 29, 2022
After that, Burton picked up where he left off rightly with “And the rocket’s red glow, the bomb bursting in air,” and concluded without incident. Burton performed the inaugural concert for Vice President Joe Biden the previous year, which was broadcast on television. He is the leader of the psychedelic soul duet, The Black Pumas, based in Austin, Texas.
Over the past three years, they have been shortlisted for six Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year in 2021. Before forming Black Pumas with Grammy-winning producer and guitarist Adrian Quesada, Burton began his career as a busker in California and Texas. During this time, Quesada was a member of Black Pumas.
