Ten years ago, 17 year old Lauren Alaina, fresh off of American Idol season 10, where she finished in second place, experienced a singer’s worst nightmare. She sang the National Anthem on television before a huge football game and flubbed the lyrics.
The NFL tapped the young country singer to perform the National Anthem before the big Thanksgiving Day game between the Green Bay Packer and the Detroit Lions, which aired on FOX, the home of American Idol at the time.
Kellie Pickler called out the bullies!
Afterward, football fans mercilessly bullied Lauren online. It got so bad, that fellow American Idol alum Kellie Pickler stepped in to call people out. “She tweeted “IN A TIME WHERE BULLYING IS AT ITS WORST I’M SO DISAPPOINTED THAT GROWN MEN & WOMEN ARE RIPPING APART A 17YR OLD. WHEN PEOPLE FALL…YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP THEM UP, NOT KICK EM’ FURTHER DOWN. DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU. BE KIND. @Lauren_Alaina HEY DOLL! YOU HANDLED YOURSELF LIKE A PRO! SEND THE BULLIES MY WAY & I’LL TELL EM’ WHERE TO GO! XO”
Ten years later, Lauren pulls off the Anthem without a hitch
Regardless, the experience left a scar. It took Lauren 10 years to find the courage to sing it again. When the 27 year old Lauren stepped in front of the mic with her guitarist before Sunday’s World Series game between her beloved Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros, Lauren pulled it off without a hitch!
“This performance was for 17 year old Lauren”
Lauren took to social media on Tuesday (Nov 2) to express her gratitude.
“How in the WORLD did this SERIESly happen?!” Lauren wrote (she can never resist a pun!) “There are no words to really convey what this performance meant to me.”
“This performance was for 17 year old Lauren. That sweet, young girl that sang the national anthem and messed it up on national television. The one that was viciously bullied on the internet and called UnAmerican. I haven’t been able to find the courage to do it ever since that day. Lauren continued, “I’ve been asked probably 50 times and declined. The fear had been too much for me to overcome. UNTIL my team, @braves made the World Series. I said I would [sing] if they made it. ”
“I will eternally be grateful to that group of men for giving me a gift they didn’t even mean to give me. It took me almost ten years to conquer my fear, and I could not be more proud of it. The best part was getting to call my dad and tell him he was going to attend the World Series. Thank you @mlb and @braves for one of the most impactful days I’ve had in my career. Thank you @ticomanproductions for standing up there with me and giving me the courage to sing. I’m so thankful for you. GO BRAVES. LET’S WIN IT ALL!!”
Congrats to Lauren for walking through her fear. Unfortunately the Braves lost that night. The series is currently 3-2 Braves with two more games to go. They could win it all tonight.
Lauren is the newest Artist Ambassador for the CMA Foundation
In other news, Lauren announced that she is the newest Artist Ambassador for the CMA Foundation. “Music education has always been dear to my heart,” Lauren writes on Twitter. “Y’all go check out the foundation’s social pages to see all of the great work they are doing in support of music education!”
