Why Martha Reeves And More Didn’t Hit The Notes

​​When Martha Reeves took the stage at the Women’s Professional Baseball League’s inaugural game in Illinois, little did she know she would join the hall of fame of national anthem fails.

The Motown legend’s rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” gave the Internet major cringe thanks to its screeching pitch, off-key tunes, and utter chaos.

Although Reeves has since addressed the vocal mishap, she isn’t the first celebrity to fumble the tune. With talents like Ingrid Andress and Fergie falling victim to the national anthem curse, the question remains: why does this keep happening?

On Saturday, August 1, Reeves and her band of two other singers delivered an off-key rendition of the anthem to a filled stadium at the Women’s Pro Baseball League’s first game.

Dressed in a bedazzled navy blue suit, the veteran led the chaotic performance as members of the audience and the players tried hard to stifle their reactions.

Shortly after, the performance went viral on X in a clip that has since garnered over 17 million views. 

“Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the national anthem at the first Women’s Pro Baseball League tonight,” the accompanying caption read.

The Internet soon went wild with memes and reactions. “I never thought Fergie would get beat out for the worst rendition, but here we are,” one fan quipped.

Another hilarious comment read, “I admire her ability to pick a key and just ignore it.”

This third user observed, “If singing the national anthem while riding a roller coaster was a thing, this is exactly how it would sound.”

Martha Reeves Blames ‘Windy’ Conditions And Backup Singers

Following the reactions to her appearance, Reeves broke her silence about what went wrong in a statement to TMZ Sports.

“Having just celebrated my 85th birthday, I’ve learned a great deal over more than 60 years of performing live,” she said.

The elder musician explained that her invitation to sing at the baseball event was an “incredible honor” she wouldn’t have missed for the world. Nevertheless, conditions beyond her control hampered her performance. In her words:

“The field conditions were wet and windy, and without stage monitors I wasn’t able to hear myself as I normally would. While it wasn’t the performance I had hoped for, I’m grateful to have been there in support of these remarkable athletes.”

The blame also seemingly extended to her backup singers, as seen in another piece of footage obtained by TMZ from the rehearsal.

While practicing, Reeves was heard snapping at the singers, “That’s out of tune,” before asking who was singing the same note as her. At one point, the Martha and the Vandellas performer declared, “Backup singers. I don’t think I need them.”

Just like the performance, it was quite the wreck. 

Ingrid Andress Labeled ‘Francis Scott-Off Key’ After 2024 Flop

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While Reeves might have taken the crown, her anthem fail brings to mind Ingrid Andress’ off-key moment at the MLB’s Home Run Derby in Arlington, Texas.

After The Blast‘s former editor-in-chief watched the botched performance and couldn’t help but chat about it with a family member, it was agreed that Andress should be called “Francis Scott Off-Key.”

Many of the players and attendees were visibly struggling to hold back their laughter as Andress sang.

The Country Singer Turned To Rehab After Drunk Performance

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Andress wasted no time addressing the bungled performance in a statement, admitting she was far from sober when she took the stage.

According to The Blast, the four-time Grammy winner took to social media to write, “I’m not gonna bullsh-t y’all, I was drunk last night. I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need. That was not me last night.”

She announced her decision and apologized to her fans and the country at large for her mishap. “I’ll let y’all know how rehab is. I hear it’s super fun,” she concluded.

Fergie Took A Special Risk, But It Flopped

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Another Hall of Fame moment has to be none other than Fergie’s attempt at turning the National Anthem into a jazz rendition.

It was a major fail, but the Black Eyed Peas alum remained proud of herself for trying something different.

“I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem, and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA,” she said in a statement. “I’m a risk-taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone.”

As reported by The Blast, Fergie also had the backing of her ex-partner Josh Duhamel, who noted she was great at what she does despite not giving her best performance.

“But the girl’s crazy talented, she really is. And she’s an amazing woman, an amazing human being,” Duhamel declared.