A lot of us look forward to the singing of the national anthem at sporting events. Itโs always exciting to see whoโll be the voice behind it too โ especially during major games when celebrities are often brought in.
Crowd members at the Western Conference finals were in for quite the experience when country music star Keith Urban walked out onto the ice. His performance of the โStar-Spangled Bannerโ is one thatโs giving the internet chills.
A man with an amazing talent and a big heart.
Keith Urban is a four-time Grammy award-winning artist whoโs made himself a successful career in the world of country music. In addition, heโs known for his humanitarian work โ along with being an American Idol judge and a coach on The Voice Australia.
Urban is originally from New Zealand, but is also a citizen of the United States. Heโs been married to his beautiful wife, actress Nicole Kidman, since 2006.
Itโs an incredible way to start the game.
Fans of the Nashville Predators have been treated to many unforgettable performances while at their teamโs hockey games. From Carrie Underwood to Vince Gill, the ice arena has been filled with many beautiful renditions of the national anthem.
The Predators were set to play the Anaheim Ducks at the Bridgestone Arena, when Urban was announced as the musician whoโd be singing the anthem that evening.
According to Urban, it was his first time performing the โStar-Spangled Bannerโ for an event.
The crowd roars with excitement as Keith Urban enters the rink and stands before the microphone. He, of course, was wearing a yellow Predators jersey with his name printed on the back.
As the arena silenced, Urban began belting out the national anthem with his own country flare. The sound of his voice fills the room, becoming more powerful as his performance goes on.
Once he reaches the patriotic lyrics, โOh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,โ the audience canโt help but give a cheer. They also erupt when Urban finishes the song with a bang while singing:
โOโer the land of the free and the home of the brave?โ
There have been many musicians over the years who have taken on the Star-Spangled Banner, and Urbanโs rendition is one that touches you straight in the heart. Just like when the high school wrestler sang it, or when the football player went viral for his performance.
The whole experience meant a lot to Keith Urban.
After his appearance on the ice, Urban spoke with Jon Morosi from the NHL Network. He explained how much it meant to him to be chosen as that nightโs singer.
โIโve lived in America 25 years, Iโve never been asked to sing the national anthem. It was such an honor to do it here in Nashville for the Preds.โ
He also told Morosi:
โItโs a nerve-wracking experience, but above all itโs a huge honor. For me, for all the years Iโve lived here one of the proudest moments ever in my life.โ
โOne of the proudest moments ever in my life.โ@KeithUrban spoke with @JonMorosi after singing the National Anthem before Game 3.
โ NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) May 17, 2017
Even viewers have left comments about how much they enjoyed Urbanโs rendition. One person wrote:
โWell done by Keith. Awesome to see some of the popular Singers from Nashville contribute to Hockey!โ
Another commented:
โSimple and utterly beautiful. Iโm sold sold sold!โ
You can watch Keith Urbanโs performance of the national anthem below!
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