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An impassioned performance of The Star-Spangled Banner is one of the few things that truly gets the blood pumping.
Just ask anyone who saw Jackson Dean Nicholson’s performance as a senior defensive end at Maryland’s Arundel High School a few years ago.
We’re not referring to his performance during the game, but rather to how he sang the national anthem before it. It impressed the local audience in addition to thousands of online users over the years.
According to sources, Nicholson was faced with a choice when he realized that no one else was available to sing the national anthem before his school’s game. Of course, he could have either allowed the school to play a tape over the speakers or allowed the audience to sing the song themselves.
However, Nicholson seems to be made of a different material. The teenager from high school took the field alone before the game, carrying only an acoustic guitar and a microphone.
He then sang the American national anthem in one of the best performances we’ve ever heard, so it’s no surprise that the video has become a viral phenomenon.
The fact that the video, which was first posted in 2018, is still striking and relevant today is evidence of how brilliantly Nicholson sings.
“It was very cool. I probably knew 90 percent of the people sitting in those stands, and they had no idea I was doing it ‘til I brought my guitar out,” he explained.
Check out the stunning performance below:
For his five minutes of fame, Nicholson may have been outfitted as a senior defensive end, but his main love in life is music. Since he was a freshman, he has been writing and performing songs, and right before he went viral, he was working on his own album.
He correctly chose the stage name Jackson Dean because Jack Nicholson is already a reasonably well-known actor.
Jackson declared in 2018 on his football career: “This is my final year, then I’m done. I’ll have completed all of my credits by the time January rolls around, and I only need to be enrolled for this semester. My principal granted me a waiver, and she is very supportive of what I do.
“I’m going to go for it.”
Best of luck, Jackson!
