In defense of Steve Tyler's singing of our national anthem, I will say that while I certainly have heard better renditions, I have also heard many that were a whole lot worse.
Roseanne Barr's performance was, is and for all time will be the absolute worse performance ever witnessed on this earth. If there is one musical composition that should be sung specifically as it was written, it is our national anthem. Too many times, I have heard too many individuals get too cute with singing it, as to virtually sound as if they were auditioning for "American Idol."
Tyler is a rocker, not a matinee idol, and he put everything he had into it, nothing phony, and he knew the words, and - above all - he sang it like it was written.
You never hear any serviceman or woman, nor any fireman, policeman or anyone who loves and respects the U.S., trying to change anything about our national anthem like some waiting-to-be-discovered individual.
Myself, my family and quite a few of my friends think Tyler did a great job. Criticizing how he looked, and how he dressed, is being too small-minded.
Give me a break.
He wasn't trying to be a fashion statement. We'll let that to Lady Gaga.
Ed Leipold
Altoona
