*You can’t tell this 3rd grader he ain’t Mariah Carey singing the National Anthem for his school!
D’Corey Johnson, age 9, of Louisville, Kentucky, was captured getting really into his rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” for the morning announcements last month at Bates Elementary School. Principal Alecia Dunn recorded him singing and posted it to the school’s social media accounts, where it has gone viral.
Watch below:
The school’s morning announcements include the Pledge of Allegiance, the national anthem, the school’s personal pledge and news of the day, Dunn told “Good Morning America.” Usually, a recording of the anthem is played and students and faculty sing along in their respective classrooms. This time, however, D’Corey approached Dunn with a request to sing it himself.
When he began singing, Dunn said she was so stunned that she was at a loss for words.
“I couldn’t finish the announcements. So I just told teachers, ‘You guys can finish out our Bates scholar pledge,'” she recalled. “You could hear outside the office all the cheers. And then we walked out of my office … it was almost like he was on a parade — every teacher was hanging out their door, we were all crying.”
D’Corey’s mom, Nakia Johnson, says he’s always been a singer from a young age — whether it’s at her salon or at church.
“When he sings, he makes people cry, he makes people shout, he makes people have chills,” Johnson told “Good Morning America.” “D’Corey is just an awesome kid. Everywhere he goes, everybody loves to hear him. His voice is soothing.”
D’Corey told “GMA” that he “loves” singing, adding that he’s a huge fan of Tina Turner and his favorite songs of hers to sing are “Proud Mary” and “River Deep.” He also loves to act and is a fan of Shakespeare.
“I want to be a singer known as a triple threat,” he said. “That means that I can do everything — sing, act, tap.”
D’Corey has already been tapped to sing the national anthem at an upcoming Tennessee Titans game.
View D’Corey’s interview with “NBC Nightly News'” Lester Holt and “Inside Edition” below:
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