Fans say this is the greatest rendition of “America the Beautiful” of all time, and it’s easy to understand why. The late, great Ray Charles sang “America the Beautiful” before Game 2 of the 2001 MLB World Series straight from his heart, causing fans both in the stadium and at home to tear up. Ray’s performance was all the more poignant, as he sang less than seven weeks after the 9/11 attacks, uniting the nation with his voice. The joy Ray felt as the crowd gave him a huge round of applause at the end was such a special way to close it out.
You don’t even have to be American to feel the power and majesty of this performance. Ray sings with such soul and feeling that you just get lost in his voice. And the way he caresses the piano just stirs something inside of you. Watching the crowd’s reaction as he plays says it all. The Music Man has to say they sure don’t make ‘em like this any more!
MLB uploaded Ray’s take on “America the Beautiful” to YouTube, where it has drawn around two million views. Viewers added comments such as “Hands down the greatest rendition of ‘America the Beautiful’” and “I’m 33 and I’m not ashamed to admit that I sat in my chair and just cried like a little baby listening to this. Such a wonderful, heartfelt version of a song sung by a man who loved his country, and though he couldn’t see with his eyes, he could feel the love of his fans.”
Another great patriotic moment that came from Ray Charles’ music featured none other than Usher and then-President Barack Obama. Usher appeared at the White House tribute to Ray Charles to perform “What’d I Say”. The President wasn’t gonna be left out of the fun though, and he hit the stage to sing and lead the crowd in the call and response vocals. Talk about a feelgood moment!
The US national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”, is traditionally performed at the opening of major sporting and political events. At several major events, however, Ray Charles performed his take on “America the Beautiful”.
He first recorded the song as a gospel number in 1972. Game 2 of the 2001 MLB World Series was not the only major event at which he sang the tune. He also gave notable performances of the song at the Republican National Convention (1984), WrestleMania II (1986) and Super Bowl XXXV (2001).