What to Know
There have been a lot of unforgettable performances of “The Star Spangled Banner” by celebrities over the year (hi, Fergie). But 85-year-old Motown legend Martha Reeves may have just dethroned them all with her rendition of the national anthem at the first ever game of the Women’s Professional Baseball League.
Not only did Martha’s performance quickly go viral online, but in the footage from the moment as it played out on the field, it’s clear that even the players were doing their very best not to crack up.
Martha’s performance was very… unique.
If you’ve heard classic songs like “Dancing In the Street” and “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave” from Martha and the Vandellas, you already know that this woman is a mega talented part of music history. So when it seemed like her voice totally fell apart while performing the national anthem on Saturday, it wasn’t what anybody was expecting.
This video from the game (which includes the back-up singers Martha was joined by) shows the players standing on the field, trying and failing to stifle their laughter during the performance.
The people in the stands weren’t doing much better. More than one person made it on camera who looked like they were fighting for their lives to keep a straight face.
The internet agrees: There has never before been a version of “The Star Spangled Banner”quite like this.
Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the national anthem at the first Women’s Pro Baseball League tonight pic.twitter.com/3lEYRYNQTi
— Kendall Baker (@kendallbaker) August 2, 2026
People reacting to the anthem are absolutely not holding back on X, and unfortunately, her performance has created some banger posts.
“I admire her ability to pick a key and just ignore it,” one person wrote.
One person on Reddit wrote, “She sounds like an angel. A Biblically accurate angel.”
Martha herself has responded to everyone’s reactions.
Talking to TMZ about the performance, Martha said she’s “learned a great deal over more than 60 years of performing live.”
After adding that it was an “incredible honor” to be a part of “such a historic moment for women in sports,” Martha did admit that she knew the performance wasn’t her best.
“The field conditions were wet and windy, and without stage monitors I wasn’t able to hear myself as I normally would,” she said. “While it wasn’t the performance I had hoped for, I’m grateful to have been there in support of these remarkable athletes and this groundbreaking league.”
After such an incredible career, hopefully Martha is able to laugh about this incident. It won’t be what she’s most remembered for after all the conversation around her performance fizzles out.
And let’s not forget she is in her 80s. Can we give the woman a break? Especially after everything she’s contributed to music?
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