An 85-year-old Motown legend took the field for the Women's Pro Baseball League's historic first game last Saturday, but her performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" has become the talk of the sports world for all the wrong reasons.
Martha Reeves, the iconic lead singer of Martha and the Vandellas, stepped up to sing the anthem before the WPBL's inaugural contest on Aug. 1. What followed was a rendition so off-key and disjointed that fans and viewers alike are comparing it to Fergie's infamous 2018 NBA All-Star Game performance.
Social media erupted almost immediately. One fan tweeted, "Fergie genuinely might be dethroned after this," while another wrote, "Never thought I'd live to see the day Fergie was dethroned but that day may have arrived." The video clips show players and audience members struggling to keep straight faces, with one person commenting, "I'm crying actual tears laughing especially when they show the crowd and people are trying not to laugh."
Another joked, "You can literally see the American flag crying." The performance has even drawn comparisons to other infamous anthem moments, such as the fan incident at Wrigley Field that made headlines earlier this year, though for entirely different reasons.
Leading up to the performance, there were signs of trouble. TMZ captured footage of Reeves criticizing one of her backup singers, saying, "That's out of tune. Who is singing with me? Who's singing the same note I'm singing? Why? Backup singers. I don't think I need them."
Reeves, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, later addressed the performance in a statement, attributing the issues to the conditions on the field. "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."
The Women's Pro Baseball League is a new venture aimed at providing opportunities for female baseball players. The league's debut has been overshadowed by the anthem mishap, but many are still celebrating the milestone. The incident has sparked broader conversations about protecting women's sports, a topic that has been in the spotlight recently, especially with figures like Coco Gauff and Sophie Cunningham weighing in.
Reeves' performance has also drawn attention to her age—at 85, she's a few years older than another famous Martha, Martha Stewart, who recently celebrated her 85th birthday with a viral hot tub photo. While Stewart's milestone was met with cheers, Reeves is facing a different kind of viral moment.
Despite the backlash, many fans have shown sympathy for the aging singer, noting that performing the anthem is notoriously difficult even under ideal conditions. The WPBL has not publicly commented on the performance, but the league's inaugural game will certainly be remembered for more than just the score.
