Where have all the celebrity anthem singers gone?
Ever since legendary Puerto Rican pop singer Jose Feliciano performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at game five of the 1968 World Series between the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals, it set a then-new trend of top music superstars and other celebrities performing the National Anthem at future World Series games for decades to come.
The likes of Smokey Robinson, Reba McEntire, The Oak Ridge Boys, Billy Joel, Michael Bolton, Jewel, Melissa Etheridge, Marc Anthony, N'SYNC, Josh Groban, Michael McDonald, Natalie Cole, Leann Rimes, Brian McKnight, James Taylor, The Boston Pops Orchestra, Gloria Estefan, Renee Fleming, Glenn Close, Paul Simon, Debbie Gibson, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Lou Rawls, Jeffrey Osbourne, Gladys Knight, Charley Pride, Travis Tritt, Billy Ray Cyrus, Vince Gill, Peabo Bryson, Lyle Lovett, Wynonna Judd, Darius Rucker, The Jets, Glenn Close, Hanson, Carrie Underwood and other celebrities have all sung the U.S. National Anthem at a World Series game at one point or the other.
However, the trend of celebrities singing the National Anthem at the World Series as well as the MLB All-Star Game has ended as military personnel and other lesser local performers have pretty much replaced the music stars when it comes to performing the National Anthem at the World Series and the MLB All-Star Game.
Though it hasn't been revealed to the press, rumor has it is that when Rob Manfred replaced Bud Selig as MLB Commissioner back in 2015, the rule regarding selecting anthem performers for the World Series and the MLB All-Star Game has changed. It used to be that MLB chose the performers but now that honor goes to the home team. It's a rule that also affects the NHL as they most of the time have full-time anthem singers like Jim Cornelison of the Chicago Blackhawks.
In addition, ever since the backlash that Fergie got when she delivered a less-than-flattering National Anthem rendition at the NBA All-Star Game back in 2018 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, along with the backlash that Fall Out Boy lead leader Patrick Stump got when he did the honors at game three of the 2016 World Series in front of numerous Cubs fans at Wrigley Field, there has been a decrease in music stars singing the anthem (though it is still common at the Super Bowl as well as the NBA All-Star Game and the NBA Finals).
With MLB much like the NHL, it will be increasingly difficult for top music stars to perform at the World Series as the last few World Series are increasingly focusing on more conservative acts.
