After a widely panned performance of the U.S. national anthem at the MLB Home Run Derby, country singer Ingrid Andress apologized Tuesday and said she was drunk.
“I'm checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this country I love so much for that rendition.”
The MLB is not commenting, spokesperson Matt Bourne said.
A representative for Andress said there will be no additional comment at this time.
On Monday night, the four-time Grammy nominee belted an a cappella version of “The Star-Spangled Banner," an incredibly challenging song to sing. Clips of her less-than-popular rendition at the Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, went viral.
Sports Illustrated writer Alex Carr posted on X, formerly Twitter, “I’m so sorry, I’m sure Ingrid Andress is a wonderful person, but that was one of the worst national anthems I think I’ve ever heard in my whole life.”
Here's more to know about the incident and Andress.
Andress, 32, began her career as a Nashville songwriter, penning songs for performers across genres, including Bebe Rexha's “Girl in the Mirror,” Halestorm's “Conflicted,” and the critically acclaimed “Boys,” which became an international hit for British singer Charli XCX.
Soon, she inked a deal with Warner Music Nashville and Atlantic Records for her own music, releasing her debut album “Lady Like” in 2020. Her breakthrough single “More Hearts Than Mine” proceeded the release, peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the list for 20 weeks.
In 2021, she released her second-biggest song to date, the country radio favorite “Wishful Drinking,” a collaboration with singer Sam Hunt. It also spent 20 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 47.
Her sophomore album, “Good Person,” was released in 2022.
Andress' performance quickly made the rounds on social media.
Vulture blogger Bethy Squires joked that Andress sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” "in cursive,” a reference to a popular Internet neologism referring to pop singers stretching vowels and accentuating their vocal fry.
Chris Wright, the executive editor of Saturday Down South, was a bit more delicate: “I enjoy Ingrid Andress’ music and have seen her in concert,” he wrote on X. “After listening to that National Anthem, I have a newfound respect for her producers and sound crew. Wow.”
In the pantheon of controversial renditions of the national anthem at sporting events, Roseanne Barr's rendition at a 1990 San Diego Padres game and Fergie's at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game yielded similar reactions.
Following her performance, Fergie released a statement: "I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA,” the Grammy-winning singer said. “I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best.”
Barr responded to Fergie's performance, writing on Twitter at the time, “Who saw Fergie’s national anthem performance at the NBA All Star Game? I think mine was better lowkey.”
Earlier today, Andress had four forthcoming tour dates listed online: July 17 at Nashville's Cannery Hall, July 24 at Denver's Globe Hall Live Music & BBQ, Aug. 3 at Minneapolis' Basilica Block Party, an annual music festival, and Oct. 4 at Inlet Lodge in Ocean City, Maryland, for the Country Calling festival.
Andress' official website currently only lists the two festival dates.
A representative for Andress confirmed to The Associated Press that her “upcoming shows in Nashville and Denver have been canceled, and the venues are in touch with ticket buyers regarding refunds.”
FILE - Ingrid Andress appears at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
Ingrid Andress sings the national anthem before the MLB Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas Monday, July 15, 2024. Country singer and four-time Grammy nominee Ingrid Andress says she was drunk during her widely panned performance of the national anthem at the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby. The singer posted a statement Tuesday that addressed her performance and says she will be seeking treatment. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News via AP)
FILE - Ingrid Andress performs on day four of the Lollapalooza Music Festival in Chicago on Aug. 6, 2023. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
WINDER, Ga. (AP) — A 14-year-old Georgia high school student has been charged as an adult with using an assault-style rifle to kill two students and two teachers in the hallway outside his algebra classroom, according to authorities.
The shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, about an hour’s drive from Atlanta, was the latest among dozens of school shootings across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in Newtown, Connecticut; Parkland, Florida; and Uvalde, Texas.
Here’s what's known about the victims of Wednesday’s shooting:
Christian's sister, Lisette, wrote in a GoFundMe fundraiser seeking donations to help with funeral costs that they were heartbroken by the loss of her “baby brother.”
“He was a very good kid and very sweet and so caring. He was so loved by many. His loss was so sudden and unexpected,” she wrote. “He really didn’t deserve this.”
A neighbor described watching Mason grow into a first-year high school student from an inquisitive little boy of about 4 who would rush to the neighbor's yard when his parents brought him outside.
“He’d come over and say, `What are you doing? What are you doing?’ It was so fun to see him like that, as a little kid,” Tommy Pickett said.
Mason's death left Pickett shaken and his daughter, who'd seen Mason at the bus stop that morning, in tears.
“She actually saw him get on the bus that day and he ain’t coming back on the bus,” Pickett said. “That really bothered her."
“I just can’t believe he’s gone like that. Why? Why him?” Pickett said. “He always was smiling. He always was funny, you know, he just laughed and stuff. When he talked to you, he smiled and stuff. I mean, why him? What did he do to deserve that?”
Louis Briscoe told The New York Times that when he learned of the shooting, he called the boy's mother, a friend and co-worker. She told him “Mason’s gone,” and his heart dropped.
“Nobody should have to go through this type of pain,” Briscoe said.
Silvia Pasch told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution she got to know Irimie, a math teacher, when they volunteered at Saints Constantine and Helen Church in Lilburn, which holds festivals to celebrate Romanian culture. She said Irimie’s practice with the children’s dance group this spring included a lesson for a student struggling with an algebra concept. Pasch said she listened in as she chopped vegetables in the kitchen "because I thought I might learn something.” Without Irimie, the next festival will be hard, Pasch said.
“I bet when we are cutting potatoes and vegetables we will talk about her,” she said.
Nicolae Clempus told the newspaper Irimie made him feel welcome when he moved to the United States in 2001. She was active in the expat community after immigrating from Romania a few years earlier. The priest at Saint Mary Romanian Orthodox Church in Dacula described Irimie as someone “you know you can count on” and who always volunteered at events by cooking or dancing.
Irimie, who was part of a traditional Romanian dance group from the Transylvania region when she was younger, later became an instructor and had a gift for working with young people, Clempus said.
Apalachee High School football coach Mike Hancock told the Athens Banner-Herald the team’s defensive coordinator, who was also a math teacher, was a great man and father who loved his daughters and wife, loved football and was well-respected.
“He worked his tail off,” Hancock said. “He coached old-school ways, but he loved those kids.”
Junior and former football player Jay Garcia, attended a prayer vigil at a downtown Winder park Wednesday to remember the coach and teacher who helped him a lot, both in learning football and in life.
“You can’t bring back the dead,” Garcia said. “I understand some people won’t be here tomorrow and just never forget who they are and what they meant to you.”
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Cristina Irimie's first name.
Mark Gorman holds a candle during a candlelight vigil for the slain students and teachers at Apalachee High School, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Winder, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
People gather at the flagpole outside the entrance to Apalachee High School on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024 in Winder, Ga., a day after deadly shootings at the school. (AP Photo/Sharon Johnson)
A person kneels in front of flowers that are placed outside the entrance to Apalachee High School on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024 in Winder, Ga., a day after deadly shootings at the school. (AP Photo/Charlotte Kramon)
Mark Gorman holds a candle during a candlelight vigil for the slain students and teachers at Apalachee High School, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Winder, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
