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04/01/2011

Watch: Alan Ritchson Belts the National Anthem

Ritchson

Didn't know Aquaman could sing too.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Posted Apr 1, 2011 at 10:51 AM EST by in Alan Ritchson, News | Permalink

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Comments

  1. Remember Mr. Abtastic made his first splash in the limelight auditioning for American Idol and trying to seduce Paula.

    Posted by: nilla4me | Apr 1, 2011 10:59:34 AM


  2. WOW.

    Posted by: Vince | Apr 1, 2011 11:00:36 AM


  3. Oh yeah, I remember him having a good voice on American Idol season 2 or 3. I believe he made it through the 2nd round of cuts during Hollywood week. He seemed to be a bit a of a "horn dog" he was more interested in getting in a hot tub with some of the other contestants than doing well in the audition.

    Posted by: Coco Vonloco | Apr 1, 2011 11:07:43 AM


  4. why can't anyone ever sing the anthem the way it was written without adding all the "runs" to it?

    Posted by: Tim NC | Apr 1, 2011 11:08:43 AM


  5. He sounds good - and looks all grown up.
    One hot man now. Oh to have a neck like that one. Damn lucky ectomorphs!

    Posted by: reality 101 | Apr 1, 2011 11:18:55 AM


  6. He has a nice voice but sing it straight honey

    Posted by: Scott | Apr 1, 2011 11:25:31 AM


  7. I agree totally Scott. Did nobody else see the kid on the right at the beginning of the clip who was having none of this holding his hand to his heart? Very funny.

    Posted by: Arthur. | Apr 1, 2011 11:45:03 AM


  8. I'm just gonna throw my vote in for singing this song "straight." Not everything needs to be American Idolized, and not everyone is Christina Aguilera (thank god!).

    Posted by: Austin | Apr 1, 2011 11:50:54 AM


  9. I think it was Patti LaBelle that started the trend of all the runs, not Christina Aquilera.

    Posted by: Tim NC | Apr 1, 2011 11:53:47 AM


  10. Who cares if he can sing? All he has to do is look pretty.

    Posted by: Ioann | Apr 1, 2011 12:02:22 PM


  11. I thought it sounded great.

    Posted by: D.R.H. | Apr 1, 2011 12:03:01 PM


  12. TimNC, that may be true, but does Christina sing *any* song without runs? It just seems like that is the thing to do to show that you can sing, but there is something to be said for just staying on one note, at least to me.

    I remember watching a performance of the national anthem sung by Carrie Underwood, and she stuck to the notes that were originally prescribed for the words. It was pretty awesome.

    Posted by: Austin | Apr 1, 2011 12:31:07 PM


  13. The anthem sung with embellishments becomes about the singer, and in every case I've heard, that is unfortunate. My pet peeve is the breath taken between the words "spangled banner"
    but I've heard people breath between syllables. Aretha Franklin's "My Count--(breath)--try 'tis of thee..." is my favorite fail.

    Posted by: JerryZ | Apr 1, 2011 12:53:28 PM


  14. I hate "The Star-Spangled Banner". It is a bland, tuneless song. I always feel a little shame and embarrassment for my country whenever I hear it. We should steal the rousing, energetic melody from the "Socialist Internationale" and set American lyrics to it.

    Posted by: will | Apr 1, 2011 1:26:36 PM


  15. and a well-trained voice! that is one of the most difficult songs to sing; as we know, many people have literally butchered it!

    for many years, people have wanted to change the national anthem to 'America the Beautiful' - much easier to sing...

    Posted by: mike/ | Apr 1, 2011 1:36:28 PM


  16. that was incredible. i can understand the preference for no runs, but i think he did them really well. AWESOME voice.

    Posted by: jen | Apr 1, 2011 1:42:43 PM


  17. what JerryZ said. performers need to stop making it about themselves, and that's exactly what riffing does. riffing has a place, and it's in gospel music and some pop. not in the SSB.

    also, he needs some training. he's got a lovely natural instrument but needs to work on rhythm and pitch. the first part of the song was in some imaginary time signature, and he changed keys on the word "twilight."

    so hopefully he'll get some voice lessons and do it without a shirt next time.

    Posted by: richard | Apr 1, 2011 1:48:56 PM


  18. whatever your preference with the embellishments, there's no denying this guy's got pipes. i'm sure if he was asked to sing it straight, he'd still knock our socks off.

    Posted by: mark | Apr 1, 2011 2:12:49 PM


  19. Yes, he's hot, and he can carry a tune, sort of, but add me to the chorus of those who are bored and annoyed with people exploiting the national anthem to show off. As Stanislavsky said, less is more.

    Posted by: Rick S. | Apr 1, 2011 2:42:36 PM


  20. Love him on Blue Mountain State!

    Posted by: PDX Guy | Apr 1, 2011 3:31:46 PM


  21. Singing a song without all the embellishments is actually WAY more difficult. It takes much more vocal control to sing the simple vocal line as written, singing whole phrases on one breath, observing all the dynamics in each phrase. Alan Ritchson's smokin' hot, no doubt, and he sounds like he's got good raw vocal material, but I dont think he's done anything with it yet.

    Posted by: BorisG45 | Apr 1, 2011 3:43:53 PM


  22. Whatever, he's hot and his runs are controlled on pitch and in key.

    When it comes to people embellishing the National Anthem it depends on the singer and their vocal abilities. I'm kind of obsessed with the National Anthem so I go on youtube watching marathons. Most people just ruin it with their bullshit - think of XXLTina this year. But Whitney's rendition is full of absolutely stunning runs and hers is the best I've ever heard.

    Posted by: SKOC211 | Apr 1, 2011 5:54:28 PM


  23. Whitney's version of that Superbowl from the early 90s in the first Gulf War was the best. (She also nixed the triple meter and sang it in 4.)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AOe0ywnWes&feature=fvst

    Melisma should be used judiciously. You don't have to embellish ever note. Otherwise it sounds like Whitney wannabes. Whitney knew when to be creative and when to emphasize the melody. Just listen to the wave in her voice on the final "banner yet wave". Then she nails the final note with full voice, through 3 different chords in the orchestra. This piece was breathtaking. I cried for about 5 minutes afterwards. (My sister was in the Persian Gulf in the Navy at the time.)

    Posted by: bravo | Apr 1, 2011 6:57:30 PM


  24. Mr. Ritchson's version was fine in my opinion. The thing that bothers me -- speaking as an uptight former Army guy -- is all the folks walking around and snapping pictures, drinking Gatorade, wandering in and out...It's our national anthem, for pity's sake! Stand upright, with your hand on your heart, and look at the flag or the singer (which I think would be better than looking at the flag in this case.)

    Posted by: JT - the real one | Apr 1, 2011 8:04:51 PM


  25. I love the guy in green adjusting himself near the 28 second mark

    Posted by: Trevor | Apr 2, 2011 4:16:03 PM


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