Watch Aretha Franklin's Best National Anthem Performances at Sporting Events
On Thursday, the publicist for music icon Aretha Franklin announced that the 76-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer had passed away at her home in Detroit.
Franklin was one of the greatest musicians ever and earned the title "The Queen of Soul" thanks to an unparalleled singing voice that had ability to touch people's emotions on any record.
When Franklin was asked to perform the national anthem prior to the start of some major sporting events throughout the years, she put her talent on display to deliver some of the most spectacular and memorable renditions of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Below are three of Franklin's best performances of the anthem.
1993 World Series Game 1 (SkyDome, Toronto)
Before the Blue Jays completed their quest for back-to-back World Series by defeating the Phillies in the 1993 World Series, Franklin left Canada in awe thanks to this performance.
Super Bowl XL (Ford Field, Detroit)
When the Steelers and Seahawks faced off to determine a champion for the 2005 NFL season, it was not a very memorable contest on the field. But before Jerome Bettis played his final game in the NFL, Franklin welcomed the viewing audience to her hometown in a way that only she could.
Lions vs. Vikings Thanksgiving Game 2016 (Ford Field, Detroit)
Once again in her hometown, Franklin set the scene for the start of another major day on the NFL calendar. In this performance, not only are her skills on the piano and raw vocal talent put at center stage, but so was her gift to turn any song into her own. This nearly five-minute rendering of "The Star-Spangled Banner" left everyone in attendance on their feet as they gave her a standing ovation for what was the most soulful and arguably greatest performance of the song.
[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZLWHz8ekgw]
The players' faces and reactions at the end tell the whole story.
