The Hispanic singer, who recently gets slammed for singing the patriotic song at MLB all-star game, says that he's a proud New Yorker and no one can 'get more New York than [him].'
- Jul 19, 2013
AceShowbiz - Marc Anthony sparked controversy after performing "God Bless America" at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in New York on Tuesday, July 16. The New York-born singer of Puerto Rican descent was slammed for not being American enough to sing the patriotic song.
"Marc Anthony singing God Bless America on the MLB Allstar Game..........am I the only person that finds that unAmerican," tweeted an MLB fan. "Why is a Mexican, Marc Anthony, singing god bless America? Doesn't he know this is AMERICA's song?" another fan wrote.
Anthony has reacted to the mean tweets. During his visit to "Live! with Kelly and Michael" on Thursday, July 18, he felt the need to remind the haters where he was born. "There were some statements made that people were upset that they would have someone from another country sing the National Anthem," he told host Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan.
"To set the record straight, I was born and raised in New York, you can't get more New York than me," he continued. "I'm more Puerto Rican than ever and I'm more New York than ever."
He went on to explain how he felt about singing the song at the event. "It's just so gratifying, it's such a unique experience. You say yes because of the honor, you can't deny that," he added.
Last month, similar case happened to 11-year-old Sebastien De La Cruz. The Mexican-American young singer's flawless rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" sparked negative reactions. "Why is a foreigner singing the national anthem. I realize that's San Antonio but that still ain't Mexico," a Twitter user wrote.
De La Cruz reacted to the criticism, saying, "People don't know; they just assume that I'm just Mexican. But I'm not from Mexico. I'm from San Antonio, born and raised."
