Carrie Underwood sung “America the Beautiful” during the inauguration of Donald Trump on Monday, performing it a capella after a tech glitch over the piped-in music couldn’t be resolved.
The eight-time Grammy winner, the first among the musical performers to be announced ahead of Inauguration Weekend, was introduced following Trump’s swearing-in as the 47th President of the United State and his speech.
There was about a two-minute pause after Underwood was introduced, with the singers standing stage left across the podium from Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance waiting for her music to start. Eventually, after a whisper in her ear from an usher, Underwood told the crowd in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, “You know the words, help me out here,” and she began.
See her performance above.
Watch on Deadline
On Friday, the swearing-in ceremony was moved from its traditional setting on the steps of the Capitol to inside amid forecasts of an Arctic blast. Temperatures were in the low 20s outside today, while per Trump it was a steady 72 degrees in the Rotunda.
Underwood led the names of those chosen to perform across the weekend of activities around the inauguration. Tenor Christopher Macchio sang the national anthem during Monday’s swearing-in ceremony, which also featured performances by the Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club.
Lee Greenwood took part in Trump’s Make America Great Again Victory Rally on Sunday, joined by Kid Rock, the Village People, Billy Ray Cyrus and Liberty University’s Praise Choir. This evening, the Village People, Jason Aldean and a “surprise musical guest” will perform at the Liberty Ball, one of three official inauguration-night balls. Rascal Flatts and Parker McCollum are set to perform a the Commander-In-Chief Ball, while Gavin DeGraw will perform at the Starlight Ball.
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