Martha Reeves, 85, Takes the Field at Women's Baseball League Opener to Sing the National Anthem — Video

The Motown icon arrived to celebrate a historic baseball first, although a demanding song, several revealing expressions, and some merciless comparisons soon competed with the occasion itself.

Martha Reeves, 85, performed during the Women's Professional Baseball League's inaugural weekend on Saturday, August 1, 2026. As the anthem progressed, the difficulty she encountered became increasingly noticeable, and viewers soon connected the performance with several celebrity renditions remembered for all the wrong reasons.

A Historic Opening Met an Unforgiving Song

Reeves walked onto the field shortly before the first pitch, accompanied by two backup singers. Her performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was part of a weekend filled with firsts for the new women's league.

The singer brought decades of music history to the field. Reeves rose to fame as the lead vocalist of Martha and the Vandellas, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

The group released enduring Motown hits including "Heat Wave," "Nowhere to Run," and "Jimmy Mack." Their 1964 recording "Dancing in the Street" became one of the most recognizable soul songs of its era.

However, the national anthem presented Reeves with a considerable challenge. Her voice sounded shaky during the performance, and she appeared to struggle as the melody climbed toward its famous high notes.

As Reeves continued, cameras showed spectators smiling or visibly trying not to laugh. One player tightened her face in an especially noticeable effort to control her reaction.

Those expressions made the difficult notes even harder to ignore. Reeves completed the anthem, but viewers ran to the internet with their thoughts.

Viewers Roasted the Shaky Vocals and Straight-Faced Players

Once the video circulated, commenters showed considerably less restraint than the people caught on camera. Some focused on the player attempting to hide her amusement, while others compared Reeves with a singer whose 2018 anthem remains difficult to forget.

On Facebook, one commenter declared, "Fergie can finally rest, Martha has picked up the torch🤣🤣." Another wrote, "Idk how the players kept a straight face! 🤣." A third person made the criticism even sharper: "Well, that's one way to burn the flag with no flames 😂😂."

The jokes continued on Instagram. One commenter suspected that Reeves may have understood exactly what she was doing, writing, "I'm convinced she did this on purpose. 🤣" Another offered a brief verdict: "Flag even looked sad."

One person also aimed a joke at the vocal support beside Reeves, writing, "when you order the singers on temu 😂😂😂 [sic]." People tend to criticize performances all the time, but renditions of the national anthem often take center stage.

The Fergie joke pointed back to one of the most famously mocked performances. Reeves is now part of a much longer list that includes forgotten lyrics, unusual arrangements, and renditions that left players struggling to keep straight faces.

Other Stars Learned How Quickly an Anthem Can Go Wrong

Fergie performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game, giving it a slow, sultry arrangement that confused many viewers. Her vocals became increasingly strained around the stronger notes, and critics soon labeled it among the worst renditions they had heard.

The performance aired before more than 8 million U.S. television viewers, along with a wider global audience. It also inspired the #SingItLikeFergieChallenge, with people posting their own exaggerated versions of the anthem.

Much like the player seen during Reeves' appearance, Draymond Green and Joel Embiid struggled to keep straight faces as the former Black Eyed Peas leading lady sang. Charles Barkley later joked that he would "need a cigarette" after hearing it.

Fergie addressed the criticism the next day, explaining that she had wanted to create something special for the NBA. She acknowledged in a statement, "I'm a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn't strike the intended tone."

She also emphasized that she loved her country and had honestly tried her best. That response explained why commenters watching Reeves eight years later were so quick to joke that Fergie could finally surrender the unwanted title.

But seven years before Fergie's rendition, Christina Aguilera encountered a different anthem problem during Super Bowl XLV. She belted the song confidently but repeated an earlier lyric instead of delivering the correct line.

Aguilera was supposed to sing, "O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?" Instead, she repeated an earlier line with one word changed, singing, "What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last gleaming," rather than "What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming."

The mistake immediately became the main conversation surrounding the event. But of course, almost no other can compare to Roseanne Barr's 1990 appearance at Jack Murphy Stadium.

Invited to perform before a San Diego Padres doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds, Barr delivered a screeching, off-key rendition that drew boos from the crowd.

After screaming the final notes, she grabbed her crotch and spat on the field. Barr later explained that she was parodying behavior associated with some baseball players rather than deliberately disrespecting the anthem.

Barr defended herself by saying she had simply been trying to sing and admitting that she was "no Beverly Sills." Although she apologized to those who were appalled, she also argued that anyone who considered it the worst thing they had heard had lived relatively easily.

The Padres received approximately 1,200 calls, most of them complaints. The team apologized and said its officials understood their responsibility to ensure the anthem was treated with dignity and respect.

Longtime Yankee Stadium anthem singer Robert Merrill compared the performance to burning the flag, while Padres pitcher Eric Show called it an insult to those who had died for the song.

Barr's husband at the time, Tom Arnold, urged critics to relax. He argued that organizers already knew she was an average singer rather than an opera performer. But another legendary singer was mocked just last month.

Another Soul Legend Faced Similar Criticism Weeks Earlier

Patti LaBelle, 82, divided viewers with her rendition of the anthem at the 96th MLB All-Star Game in July. Performing at Citizens Bank Park in her hometown of Philadelphia, LaBelle appeared to miss lyrics and take creative liberties with portions of the song.

Some viewers accepted her unconventional approach, but others criticized the changes.

LaBelle had experienced another live lyrical problem at the 2023 BET Awards. While honoring Tina Turner with "(Simply) the Best," she forgot parts of the song and began humming before admitting that she could not see the words.

Her All-Star performance remained fresh in viewers' memories when Reeves took the field only weeks later. Still, both women brought decades of soul history to baseball's biggest stages.

Reeves’ performance may have inspired jokes, but at 85, she helped open a new league with the same confidence that once made people dance in the street.