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The Documentary: Soul Music: The Star-Spangled Banner

Jimi Hendrix

14/10/2020 GMT

The Star-Spangled Banner

Soul Music

BBC World Service - The Documentary, Soul Music, The Star-Spangled Banner

Why America's national anthem, by Francis Scott Key, inspires emotion and controversy

Why America's national anthem, by Francis Scott Key, has inspired emotion and controversy.

America's national anthem was written by a lawyer, Francis Scott Key, after watching the British navy bombing Fort McHenry in 1814. It was set to an English social men's club song and recognized as the national anthem in 1889. Notoriously difficult to sing, and traditionally played at public sports events and orchestral concerts, the anthem has inspired emotion and attracted controversy.
 
We hear from Dr John Carlos who along with Dr Tommie Smith, raised their fists on the Olympic podium in the Mexico City Olympics in 1968 as the anthem was played; Jose Feliciano who sang the anthem at the 1968 World series and provoked criticism; Conrad Netting IV who discovered the truth about his fighter pilot father's history which led him to a cemetery in Normandy; writer Crista Cloutier who associated it with Obama's election; members of the Coldstream Guards band who played the anthem at the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace the day after 9/11 and Leon Hendrix, Jimi's brother, who was in the army at the time of Woodstock, and was put on 'potato peeling duty' because of the 'dishonourable' version his brother had played.

The Documentary: Soul Music

Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.

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