Chaka Khan stuns fans with unusual US national anthem performance at the NBA All-Stars Game
Chaka Khan left fans open-mouthed with her rendition of The Star Spangled Banner at the NBA All-Star game on Sunday night.
The legendary performer sang the US national anthem before the game began, but fans couldn't believe their ears when she belted out the song.
Her somewhat unique and warbling rendition of the American national anthem left viewers confused, with some even going as far as to accuse the 66-year-old of butchering the song.
In much the same vein as Fergie did two years ago, Khan's pre-game performance threatened to overshadow the 69th All-Star Game with many taking to social media to express their shock:
Me looking at, “Chaka Khan killed that anthem” tweets on the timeline. #NBAAllStar2020
pic.twitter.com/tidCBFKxbP— Emmanuel Acho (@thEMANacho)
Chaka Kahn giving Fergie a run for her money!
— Robert Lopez (@The_Coolest03)
Fergie and Chaka Khan’s national anthems: pic.twitter.com/zs7YqMrUmV
— 𝓝𝓲𝓷𝓳𝓪¹🐝 (@NinjaScottSZN)
Everyone who just sat through that Chaka Khan version of the national anthem?
“I feel for you...”#AllStar2020— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson)
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) February 17, 2020
Chaka Khan singing like ya drunk aunty at Christmas. 🤣 #NBAAllStar
— Myles (@myles_morris)
More like Chaka Khan’t. That was terrible. #NBAAllStar2020
— Jamison Coyle (@JamisonCoyle)
Chaka Khan’s #AllStarGame National Anthem was so bad that by the end of it she was just kind of making up new notes
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow)
Listening to Chaka Khan sing the national anthem #NBAAllStar2020 pic.twitter.com/trCawvi2QV
— Ethan Williams (@EWilliams_22)
Fergie and Chaka Khan fighting over who had the worst National Anthem performance of all time. pic.twitter.com/wQv2oDjLtQ
— BROM (@JustBrom)
However, not all of the pre-game performances were viewed with such incredulity.
Jennifer Hudson won plaudits for her tribute to Kobe Bryant, in which she performed popular 1934 song For All We Know - previously recorded by the likes of Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday and Nat King Cole - as a montage of Bryant pictures flashed in the background.
That stirring performance was preceded by a tribute from Lakers legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who spoke touchingly of the losses of Bryant and former NBA commissioner David Stern before leading an eight-second silence in reference to one of two jersey numbers worn by Kobe during his 20 years as a Laker and later retired.
Fans were also wowed by a stunning video tribute from rapper and producer Dr Dre, which featured the best moments of Bryant's memorable career.
This year's contest featured a revamped format - including a target score in the fourth quarter that was also in tribute to Bryant - that has been widely praised for improving the intensity and level of competition in the annual exhibition spectacle