Marc Anthony addresses All-Star Game racial controversy
Marc Anthony talks to Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan about the MLB All-Star Game controversy on the July 18, 2013 edition of "Live with Kelly and Michael." Credit: Jeff Neira/Disney-ABC Domestic TV
Marc Anthony took aim at those who criticized Major League Baseball’s decision to have him sing “God Bless America” at Tuesday night’s All-Star Game because he was "a foreigner."
“There were some statements made that people were upset that they would have someone from another country sing the national anthem,” Anthony said this morning on “Live with Kelly and Michael.” “Let’s get this straight. I was born and raised in New York. You can’t get more New York than me.”
Anthony, who moved from Manhattan to Brookville more than a decade ago, said that being asked to sing “God Bless America” was an honor, though the experience was scary.
“Nobody can help you if anything goes wrong,” he said, adding, “I’m looking for the nearest exit. I’m just gonna run. But it’s the most gratifying as well. It’s just so risky… It’s not whether I can hit the notes. It’s whether I’m going to forget the words. I do not want to be the top story on CNN.”
Host Kelly Ripa said she hadn’t heard about the “God Bless America” controversy. “It’s so depressing,” she said. “I get depressed when I hear things like that.”
Anthony, who was on the show to promote his new album “3.0” (Sony Latin), which is out Tuesday, brushed the controversy aside.
“I just want to set the record straight,” he said. “I’m more Puerto Rican than ever. I’m more New York than ever.”
