That October, the New York Yankees made it to the World Series to face the Arizona Diamondbacks. For many people, cheering for baseball again felt like a small step back toward normal life.
On October 28, 2001, before Game 2 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, nearly 50,000 fans were in the stands. Many of them were waving small American flags.
Then the announcer said, “To honor America with the singing of ‘America the Beautiful,’ please welcome the man and his soul, Mr. Ray Charles.”
Ray Charles had made the song his own many years earlier. His version is slow, soulful and full of feeling, more like a prayer than a march.
That night, he sang it like only he could. Partway through, he stopped to talk to the crowd. “You know, when I was a little boy, I remember we always saying these words,” he said, and then he sang on.
At one point, he called out, “Now wait a minute!” and the crowd roared.
Near the end, he asked the fans to help him. “I wish I had y’all to help me sing this thing,” he said. “Go ahead!” And they did.
When he finished, the ballpark erupted in cheers.
Ray Charles passed away in 2004. But every time this song plays, his voice still reminds us what it means to love this country, especially in hard times.
Where were you in the fall of 2001? Share this with someone who remembers.
