Dad's Spontaneous National Anthem Performance Brings 'Everyone in the Gym to Tears'

In a glimpse of the vast reservoir of patriotism that lies beneath the surface of American life, one parent stood tall when the sound system failed recently before the start of a high school basketball game.

On Dec. 4, the Waverly High Tigers and the Portsmouth West High Senators were preparing for their game in West Portsmouth, Ohio.

The time came for the masked crowd to rise for the “Star-Spangled Banner” when a complication arose.

Nope. This was not the NFL; nobody decided to kneel in protest.

The sound system failed to work, leading to moments of silence amid foot-shuffling.

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Trenton Brown was joining in the awkwardness until he prompted to remedy the situation.

This guys awesome

Stepped up and RIPPED the anthem when the sound system failed

Well done sir!! https://t.co/IKWjC35pwG

— John M Jones (@John__M_Jones) December 7, 2020

@budsnanny
I just came across this news story.
I love this Dad – so endearing and warms my heart.
🇺🇲❤
He is just a regular guy , I like what he does at the end. 🙂

I hope you like the vid & the story! #PattyOnSitehttps://t.co/SGFDEzpGlC

— PattyHughes™INC. (@PattyHughes) December 7, 2020

“I looked over at the announcer and the music didn’t play and didn’t play and I looked over and he was getting a little frustrated. My wife gave me a little nudge and said ‘Sing’ and I said, ‘All right,'” Brown told CNN.

Brown has experience singing and performing, but this was the first time he ever tried the challenging national anthem solo.

“There was a lot of awkward silence … and then I started singing and that was it,” he said.

When it was over, he sat down as if he had not done anything remarkable.

The moment might have been lost except for Johnny Futhey, whose son is a teammate of Brown’s son on the Waverly team.

Furthey posted the video to his Facebook page.

“He brought about everyone in the gym to tears when he saved the day by standing up in the crowd and singing the anthem,” Furthey said.

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Futhey said that what the video did not pick up was that as Brown sang, players and fans joined in in a moment of patriotism.

“When I originally posted I thought it would get some interest but didn’t realize it would be like a million views!” he said.

“I posted it because I was like, the world needs to see this.”

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