Singer Loomis Apologizes, Asks For Forgiveness After National Anthem Failure: ‘Lesson Learned’

Singer Loomis has apologized after her poor performance of the national anthem during a C-SPAN live broadcast went viral.

On Wednesday, Loomis opened a debate hosted by the Foundation for Free and Equal Elections featuring third-party candidates with an image of the Star-Spangled Banner.

Midway through the performance, which was also broadcast on radio and online, her voice cracked as she hit the song’s classic high notes.

“I screwed up, I screwed up. Can I go back please?” she begged before a voice could be heard off-screen telling her it was a live broadcast.

She quickly returned to the song and ended her performance to applause from the moderators, candidates and audience as she walked off stage.

A clip of her performance has since made the rounds on social media, with several viewers comparing her gaffe to former Black Eyed Peas star Fergie’s dramatic performance of the national anthem at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.

Loomis took the online bullying in stride, addressing “all the craziness” that followed in a video posted to Instagram on Saturday.

“First of all, I would like to apologize to the Free and Equal political team for this incident, and from the bottom of my heart I wanted to apologize. And I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin the national anthem and I wanted to thank you guys for giving me a chance and believing in me,” she said.

She went on to say that singing the national anthem was something she had been worried about singing for a long time.

“I was always afraid that I would fail, and then I did it and the world saw it,” she added. “So I just wanted somebody to see that you can turn something negative into something positive.”

In the caption of the post, she further explained: “I was a little late and didn’t have a clear idea, which left me confused when we went live! I know it wasn’t the best experience of my life and I’m truly sorry if it missed the mark. I take full responsibility and ask that you do not use this incident to second-guess what kind of artist I am and am trying to be.

“I am so grateful for the opportunity and all the love and support I received. I take this as a lesson learned and can’t wait to come back even stronger!”

Earlier this year, country singer Ingrid Andress was criticized for her poor performance of the anthem at the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby.

Andress later said that she was drunk during the event and later sought medical help.

“I won’t scold you all, I was drunk last night,” she said then. “Today I am flying to the facility to get the help I need. It wasn’t me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans and the country I love so much for this performance. I’ll tell you how the rehabilitation is going. I hear it’s a lot of fun.”