Friday night’s face-off saw the Sacramento Kings trounce against the Dallas Mavericks in a nail-biting game that had everyone on their toes. In the lead to the game, General Hospital’s own Bradford Anderson (a current resident of the “Farm-to-Fork Capita”) took to the court and belted out The Star-Spangled Banner — and Daily Drama has the exclusive interview with the crooning thespian.
Bradford Anderson Q&A
This has been a life-long dream of yours. Can you tell us more?
I’ve always wanted to sing the anthem somewhere, but the opportunity never came up. I love sports, I get so excited to attend live sports…singing the anthem just seemed like a fun way to be do something I love (singing) at a place I love to be (live sporting events). And who doesn’t love free tickets?!
How did this opportunity come about?
Last spring (2023), I saw that the Sacramento Kings (my current hometown team) was accepting submissions for anthem singers, so I figured why not? I sent in a video. A few weeks later I got an email that I had been accepted and that they’d reach out to schedule me for a date sometime the following season. After a bunch of scheduling snafus, emails going to spam, and the owner’s daughter wanting to sing a specific night that I’d been scheduled for, the night was finally set for March 29th. It ended up perfectly because it was a Friday night game, against an important division team, with the Kings needing to win to hopefully make the playoffs. A pivotal game with a sold-out crowd.
Singers across America say the national anthem is a difficult song to sing. How long did you prepare and how did you prepare?
It’s well known that the anthem is not an easy song to sing. It spans a big range, with low notes and high notes…and we all know people judge you on those high notes. Also, I never thought about the lyrics. Somehow we all know them but don’t really think about them. When you’re singing the song, and terrified you might forget the lyrics, you think about them a little differently. So, I prepared a lot. I sang a lot in the shower, in the car, and anytime I was by myself with no one in earshot.
I have to admit, I was kinda terrified. That was one of the reasons I really wanted to do it, to challenge myself. I’ve performed in front of plenty of people in many different situations, but never 18,000 strangers.
What was the reaction to your performance?
I had a blast! The crowd was really welcoming and cheered during the high notes and at the end (as most crowds do), and it felt very kind. I had family and friends in the building and received a lot of high-fives and shouts of “SPINELLI!” as I went back to my seat. The city of Sacramento loves their Kings and there aren’t too many live sports experiences better than seeing the Kings at the Golden 1 Center.
Would you want to do it again?
Now that I have the first one under my belt, I’d absolutely do it again, and I’ve already been asked to return next season which is a nice feeling. I’m no Whitney Houston, but I feel good about what I bring to the table. I think I have the good benefit of low expectations. No one expects the quirky guy from a soap opera to be able to sing… Not everyone knows that my acting career started in musical theater, so it’s fun to surprise people.
As an aside, has there ever been sports-related debate between yourself and costar/sports journalist Stephen A. Smith (Brick, General Hospital)?
Whenever I have the good fortune of running into Stephen A. at work, I can’t help but ask his opinion on my favorite sports team, be it the Red Sox, the Celtics, the Patriots, or now… my beloved Sacramento Kings. Stephen A. is always so kind and happy to talk sports with us, it’s been such a joy to get to know him.
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