Reporters are now speculating that Beyonce’s inaugural performance may have lacked some authenticity.
The New York Post – as well as a host of other news organizations – is reporting that Beyoncé didn’t perform the “Star-Spangled Banner” live at President Obama’s inauguration on Monday.
She decided at the last minute to use a pre-recorded track according to a rep for the United States Marine Corp. Band.
“All music is pre-recorded for the ceremony because there are so many eventualities and conditions that day,” Kristin DuBois, the band’s rep, told Page Six. “We performed, live, the band. But we received last-minute word that Beyonce was going to use the pre-recorded vocal track. Those were the instructions we were given. We don’t know what the reason why.”
Because, over-all, she received pretty good reviews, the news of her lip-synching may come as a surprise and be disappointing. As the Post points out:
“At one point, Beyoncé even dramatically removed her earpiece – which now seems even more ludicrous, as she wasn’t even making any noise.”
The New York Times points out that this is hardly the first time inaugural artists have pre-recorded their performance for one reason or another.
“In 2009, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Itzhak Perlman lip-synched (technically finger-synched) their performance of a special John Williams composition because the day’s extreme cold weather caused fears of broken strings and bad intonations.”
An Instagram pic (below) seems to confirm that Beyoncé recorded the track the night before in a studio with the Marine Corps Band.
(Photo: AP)
