As we know, Ben Utecht is no stranger to singing in front of a crowd, as he grew up singing in choirs and even singing the National Anthem at sporting events. On April 5th, however, he sang for perhaps the largest audience of his career so far as he performed the Anthem in front of the capacity crowd at Great American Ball Park in CIncinnati for the Reds home opener! Utecht was honored to be able to sing the National Anthem (one of his favorite pieces to perform) on such a special and exciting day for Reds fans. Read the full article as reported by the Associated Press and the Dayton Daily News below.
TE Utecht to sing anthem at Reds opener
By JOE KAY, The Associated Press Updated 11:38 PM Saturday, April 3, 2010
Article Courtesy http://www.daytondailynews.com
CINCINNATI — Tight end Ben Utecht readily accepted the offer to sing the national anthem at the Cincinnati Reds' opener this season, figuring he'd done it before at sporting events. Only later did he realize the magnitude of this moment.
The former Cincinnati Bengals player will become a featured part of one of the city's biggest sports days on Monday, taking the microphone in front of a capacity crowd at Great American Ball Park for the start of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Utecht has sung the anthem at professional and collegiate sporting events, but none like this.
"The more I've learned about opening day, I realize how special an event it really is," Utecht told The Associated Press on Saturday, in a phone interview from Nashville, Tenn. "When I was asked to sing on opening day, my reaction was, 'Sure, I'd love to do that.' Afterward, I was told by somebody, 'Do you realize how big of a deal this is? The whole city of Cincinnati shuts down for this game.'
"I was quickly made aware of how special that day is for baseball in Cincinnati. It's a huge honor to be able to do this."
He'll have one of his biggest audiences for his secondary career as an artist. Utecht released his first album last April, a collection of contemporary Christian songs titled "Ben Utecht." He performed in the following weeks, then put music on hold when training camp opened.
The 28-year-old Utecht suffered a major concussion early in camp and was taken off the field in an ambulance. The Bengals put him on injured reserve, ending his season, and released him in November. Utecht sold his house in Cincinnati and has been waiting to see if another NFL team is interested.
His musical career has been on hold, too.
"Everything is kind of put on the back burner," he said. "I'm still in a situation where everything is an unknown right now."
He sang in choirs growing up and began performing the national anthem at sporting events when he was at the University of Minnesota. For example, he sang it before a Twins game at the Metrodome.
Some of the Reds' owners heard him perform at a "Tribute to America" concert with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra this summer and asked him to sing the anthem for opening day. He quickly agreed.
"It's one of my favorite things to sing," he said.