Newly surfaced footage shows Martha Reeves voicing displeasure with her backup singers during a rehearsal for the national anthem at the Women's Pro Baseball League's inaugural game on August 1, 2026. The Motown singer, 85, can be heard on the video expressing concerns about the singers being out of tune and questioning their necessity for the performance.
"That's out of tune," Reeves states in the rehearsal recording, stopping the anthem mid-practice. "Who is singing with me?"
She further commented on the backup singers, "Backup singers. I don’t think I need them." The footage suggests she felt the singers were not harmonizing with her performance.
During the actual pregame performance, the anthem was widely criticized, with spectators audibly reacting. Video from the event captured Reeves pausing the song and looking at her backup singers, who appeared louder and out of tune. She was seen taking a step back and turning to face them as they sang.
An employee in the rehearsal footage indicated that the decision to include backup singers was ultimately Reeves'. While she initially responded, "I think so," the presence of the backup singers in the live performance seemed to disrupt her.
Following the performance, Reeves addressed the situation, stating, "The field conditions were wet and windy, and without stage monitors I wasn’t able to hear myself as I normally would. While it wasn’t the performance I had hoped for, I’m grateful to have been there in support of these remarkable athletes and this groundbreaking league."