At sporting events, many of us look forward to hearing the national anthem sung. It’s always fun to find out who will be the voice behind it, especially during big games when famous people are often brought in.
When country music star Keith Urban walked out on the ice at the Western Conference finals, the crowd was in for a treat. His rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is giving people on the internet the chills.
A man with a lot of heart and a lot of talent.
Keith Urban is a country music star who has won four Grammys and built a successful career for himself in the field. In addition to being a judge on American Idol and a coach on The Voice Australia, he is known for his work with charities.
Urban was born in New Zealand, but he is also an American citizen. Since 2006, he has been married to the beautiful actress Nicole Kidman.
This is a fantastic way to start the game.
Fans of the Nashville Predators have seen many amazing acts at hockey games. From Carrie Underwood to Vince Gill, many beautiful versions of the national anthem have been sung in the ice arena.
Before the Predators were to play the Anaheim Ducks at the Bridgestone Arena, it was announced that Keith Urban would sing the national anthem that night.
Urban said that it was the first time he had ever sung the “Star-Spangled Banner” at a public event.
As Keith Urban walks into the rink and stands in front of the microphone, the crowd goes wild. He was wearing a yellow Predators jersey with his name on the back, of course.
As soon as everyone left the arena, Urban started to sing the national anthem in his own country style. The sound of his voice fills the room, and as he sings, it gets stronger.
When he gets to the patriotic line “Oh, say does that star-spangled banner still wave,” the crowd can’t help but cheer. They also cheer when Urban finishes a song with a loud bang:
“O’er the free land and home of the brave?”
A lot of musicians have covered “The Star-Spangled Banner” over the years, but Urban’s version really hits you right in the heart. Just like the high school wrestler who sang it or the football player whose performance went viral.
Keith Urban got a lot out of the whole thing.
Urban talked to Jon Morosi from the NHL Network after his time on the ice. He talked about how much it meant to him to be picked to sing that night.
“I’ve lived in the United States for 25 years, and no one has ever asked me to sing the national anthem. It was such an honor to do it for the Preds here in Nashville.”
He told Morosi, too:
“It’s nerve-wracking, but most of all, it’s a great honor. Since I’ve lived here for so long, this is one of the proudest things I’ve ever done.
“It was one of the proudest things I’ve ever done.”
Even people who watched Urban’s performance have said how much they liked it. Someone wrote:
“Keith has done a good job. It’s great to see some of Nashville’s most famous singers playing hockey!
Someone else said:
“It’s simple and beautiful. I’m sold sold sold!”
You can watch Keith Urban sing the national anthem in the video below.