Foxx says anthem performance was not ‘a sin against America’
May 5, 2015, 10:06 AM
FILE - In this May 2, 2015 file photo, actor Jamie Foxx sings the national anthem before the start of the world welterweight championship bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas. Foxx is defending his national anthem performance against online criticism. On "Entertainment Tonight" Tuesday, May 5, Foxx says that his earpiece fell off just before he started to sing. He said he had to follow the accompanying organ music through arena speakers at Saturday's fight in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File)
(AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jamie Foxx is defending his national anthem performance at the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight against online criticism.
On “Entertainment Tonight” Tuesday, Foxx says that his earpiece fell off just before he started to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” He said he had to follow the accompanying organ music through arena speakers at Saturday’s fight in Las Vegas.
Despite that, he got an enthusiastic response from the crowd and individual compliments from Denzel Washington and others, Foxx said.
When he learned that online posts were taking him to task, Foxx said he listened to a playback and realized the song was a bit off. But Foxx said he hadn’t committed, in his words, “a sin against America” and said the anthem sounded “great” in the arena.
Posts that questioned if he could sing went too far, Foxx said.
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