ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Country music artist Cody Johnson performed the national anthem without a hitch before the All-Star Game in his home state of Texas, a night after a widely panned performance by Ingrid Andress that led to an apology and an admission that she was drunk.
Johnson walked toward the microphone between the mound and home plate at the home of the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night wearing a white cowboy hat and cream-colored blazer. The 37-year-old Texan removed the hat just before he started singing and raised it in his right hand several times along the way.
Johnson had already thrown out a ceremonial first pitch at Globe Life Field earlier this season before drawing the assignment for the anthem.
It ended up being under more scrutiny after the drama surrounding Andress, who said in her apology on Instagram that she planned to enter rehab. Andress sang the anthem before the Home Run Derby on Monday night.
Johnson is performing at the home of the Rangers in November.
Nice Horse, the Canadian duo of Katie Rox and Brandi Sidoryk, sang the anthem for that country before Johnson’s performance. The harmony-filled version went smoothly as well.
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This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of the first name of the national anthem singer at the MLB Home Run Derby to Ingrid, not Ingris, Andress.
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