Heavy A Dancing With the Stars alum is under fire.
A former “Dancing With the Stars” contender is under fire for her performance of the national anthem.
On May 28, 2023, DWTS season 8 short-timer Jewel performed ‘The Star-Spangled Banner” at the 107th Annual Indianapolis 500, which took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana.
But not everyone approved of the country “spin” the singer put on the nation’s song, and some felt it was downright disrespectful.
Jewel Received Mixed Reviews For Her National Anthem Performance
She may be a four-time Grammy nominee, but Jewel did not get high marks for her performance at the Indy 500. The 49-year-old singer appeared on the speedway sideline swearing a large cowboy hat with a checkered flag bandana hanging from it as she belted out “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Many viewers did not appreciate the way Jewel changed up the arrangement of the patriotic song, and some accused her of making it too country.
“She made it totally about her, not our country. The National Anthem was written a specific way, to be sung in the way it was written. Too many add their own versions, which is extremely disrespectful to our country. She made it a ‘show’ for herself. It was awful,” one commenter wrote.
“And this is why Jewel is washed up. Horrible and disrespectful,” another added.
“And she never removed her hat. Disrespectful all around,” a third chimed in.
Many other fans praised Jewel for putting her own spin on the song.” JEWEL kicked A$$,” one fan tweeted. “That was a great performance… She made that song her own and nailed it!!!”
But others clapped back at that stance.
“You don’t make the US National Anthem ‘your own,’” wrote another viewer. “You sing it in a traditional manner at a normal tempo. The song is not about you. The song is about America and our heritage. Jewel was trying to make herself the star. She was disrespectful and lame. ”
“You don’t just change up the national anthem! What an idiot Jewel is,” another agreed.
Jewel is best known for her hit 1990s songs “You Were Meant for Me” and “Who Will Save Your Soul,” but in the 2000s she delved into the world of reality TV.
Not only was she the winner of “The Masked Singer” in 2021, but in 2009, Jewel was cast on “Dancing With the Stars,” but was forced to withdraw from the show days before the eighth season was set to debut. The singer suffered fractures to both of her legs while rehearsing with pro partner Dmitry Chaplin, People reported at the time. Jewel and her husband, rodeo cowboy Ty Murray, were to be the first husband and wife to ever compete against one another on the show, but it wasn’t meant to be. Murray placed fourth that season.
Other Stars Have Been Criticized for Their National Anthem Performances
Jewel isn’t the first singer to get hit with backlash following a performance of the national anthem. In 2001, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler was slammed for his rendition of the song at the Indy 500. According to The Wrap, Tyler played a harmonica intro to his performance and missed key words of the song as he screeched it out.
In 2018, Black Eyed Peas alum Fergie performed a jazz-themed rendition of the song at the NBA All-Star Game, but she was panned big time. According to Forbes, Fergie went so far as to apologize to viewers. “I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA. I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best,” she said at the time.
And who can forget the biggest national anthem fail of all time? In 1990, then-TV star Roseanne Barr was tapped to perform the song at a San Diego Padres baseball game. Not only did she scream her way through the song, but she capped it off by spitting on the ground. While the Padres management apologized for the performance, Barr appeared baffled over the hoopla.
“Geez, gimme a break,” she said in an interview with KCAL, per The Roanoke Times. “I was just trying to sing a song. I apologize that people were so appalled. If this is the worst thing they ever heard, they’ve had it really easy.”
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