The Marine Corps Band has confirmed that it, along with Beyonce Knowles, faked Monday’s national anthem at President Obama’s second Inaugural.
Band director Colonel Michael J. Colburn conducted the Star-Spangled Banner energetically, but the band members were actually mimicking blowing into their instruments. It’s been reported that Beyonce even removed her earpiece during the performance while lip-syncing the lyrics.
“We don’t know why Beyonce decided to use prerecorded music,” a spokesperson for the Marine Corps Band told the Washingtonian Tuesday. “All music [for inaugural ceremonies] is prerecorded as a matter of course, and that’s something we’ve done for years and years. The Marine Band did perform live throughout the ceremony but we received last-minute word that Beyonce wanted to use the recording.”
There are no reports of a singer ever lip-syncing the national anthem during a president’s inauguration.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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