WASHINGTON — D.C. Washington delivered a stirring national anthem Friday night before Game 3 of the World Series in Washington, D.C.
You read that right.
The local luminary kicked things off with a rousing version of "The Star Spangled Banner" at Nationals Park before the first World Series game in D.C. in 86 years. And he delivered a rendition worthy of the wait.
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Beyond the quality of his vocals, though, fans were also struck by the fact that his name is D.C. Washington, and he was singing in Washington, D.C.
For those outside D.C. who may not be familiar with Washington's stature, it certainly might have seemed like a funny coincidence.
Mind-blowing stuff, indeed.
While the country may have had its first experience with D.C. Washington on Friday night, fans at Nationals Park have been hearing him sing national anthems for quite a while.
He's a deeply accomplished singer. In a 2014 interview with NPR, he explained that he has a Masters in music education from Mississippi College.
In that interview, he said when he sings the national anthem at sporting events - he has also sang at Redskins games - he said he likes to try and keep it simple so the folks in the stands can join in with him.
"That's why I sing it, basically, the way I sing it. I do a little bit of changing to it but not much because I think it should be something that we all join in together," he told NPR. "And so I think some people sing along with me while I'm singing, and so I try to make sure I keep it at a tempo that's recognizable and people feel like they can sing with."
It hit all the right notes at Nationals Park on Friday.
"Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement," he wrote on Twitter. "Thanks to @MLB and @nationals for this opportunity. Now let's go 1-0 and #FINISHTHEFIGHT."