James Taylor National Anthem Mix-Up Goes Viral (VIDEO)
James Taylor slightly flubbed his rendition of the national anthem ahead of Game 2 at the World Series on Thursday.
The legendary singer raised eyebrows when we began strumming his guitar and singing the lyrics to "America the Beautiful" when he immediately realized his err and transitioned into the correct performance of the "Star Spangled Banner."
Although 65-year-old Taylor managed to swiftly and smoothly correct himself, his blunder did not go unnoticed. Watch the video of the slight mishap " target="_blank">here.
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On Twitter, viewers commented on the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's mistake.
"James Taylor got lucky last night that 'America the Beautiful and 'The Star Spangled Banner' are often sung in the same key (B-Flat)," sports commentator Darren Rovell posted to the social media site.
Marc added, "Even when James Taylor messes up he makes it sound good. Smooth transition right there."
Later on in the night, during the seventh-inning stretch, Taylor did actually perform "America the Beautiful," making his prior gaffe more understandable.
Taylor's performance Thursday followed Mary J. Blige's opener of the 2013 MLB World Series at Boston's Fenway Park with her version of the national anthem on Wednesday, Oct. 24.
"I feel so honored and so grateful to be here," the celebrated R&B singer said, according to MTV News. "I am so glad I was asked to do this. It means so much to me."
Meanwhile, Taylor is not the first to botch the national anthem, and many singers before him have suffered worse humiliation when it comes to the lyrically complicated song.
Last year, The Fray's performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the NCAA National Championship was so bad that it left many people offended. Although the band's lead singer Isaac Slade knew the lyrics to the famous tune, the band delivered an unexpected "emo" sound that did not resonate well with viewers.
"I want to thank The Fray for performing THE WORST rendition of the anthem ever," wrote Twitter user Mike at the time. "Putrid. Thanks guys!"
