WASHINGTON (AP) -- There's no question Beyonce's rendition of the national anthem was a roaring success. The mystery: was it live or lip synced?
On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Marine Band told news outlets that Beyonce had lip synced at President Barack Obama's inauguration. Master Sgt. Kristin duBois said the band was notified at the last minute that Beyonce would use a pre-recorded voice track.
But by late afternoon, the Marine Corps backed off that statement.
Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Gregory Wolf said that because there was no opportunity for Beyonce to rehearse with the Marine Band, it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill advised. Instead they used a pre-recorded track for the band's portion of the song.
"Regarding Ms. Knowles-Carter's vocal performance," Wolf's statement continued, "no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded."
A representative for Beyonce did not respond to requests for comment.
DuBois declined to answer further questions. Earlier in the day, she told The New York Times that the rest of the inaugural performance was live and they did not know why a recorded track was used for the national anthem.
"It's not because Beyonce can't sing. We all know Beyonce can sing. We all know the Marine Band can play," she said.
Kelly Clarkson's representative said she sang live to perform "My Country, `Tis of Thee."
Inaugural organizers did not respond to requests for comment.
All inaugural music is pre-recorded in case weather conditions or other circumstances could interrupt the program.
The use of a recording is typical in big events. In 2009, cellist Yo-Yo Ma was questioned about "hand-syncing" for Obama's first inauguration. Ma said instruments weren't functioning properly in 19-degree weather.
Even in good conditions, producing good sound can be a challenge in a large open space.
Some artists choose to lip-sync. Whitney Houston's memorable performance of the national anthem in 1991 at the Super Bowl was sung to a track.
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Certain projects, such as adding a well thought-out family room can be a wise investment, as they do add to the value of the home. Other projects, however, allow little opportunity to recover the costs when it's time to sell.
Certain projects, such as adding a well thought-out family room can be a wise investment, as they do add to the value of the home. Other projects, however, allow little opportunity to recover the costs when it's time to sell.
People who follow the ancient practice of yoga may be getting an added health boost, with a new study suggesting it can fight high blood pressure -- also known as hypertension.
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In recent years, veterinarians have stepped in to provide a quick, cost-effective place on the Internet for owners to have their questions answered and get solid advice no matter the time of the day.
In recent years, veterinarians have stepped in to provide a quick, cost-effective place on the Internet for owners to have their questions answered and get solid advice no matter the time of the day.
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Tuesday, May 14 2013 6:04 PM EDT2013-05-14 22:04:37 GMT
Citing problems exposed by the Boston Marathon bombings, senators weighing amendments to a sweeping immigration bill agreed Tuesday to boost security provisions around student visas.
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Today is crunch time for the operators of medical-marijuana dispensaries in Garden Grove. The police chief has sent them letters telling them they must close by today or face fines of 1-thousand dollars.
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A 25-acre wildfire has shut down some northbound lanes of Interstate 5 in Castaic, north of Los Angeles, and is threatening a mobile home park.
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Maribel Ramos, 36, was last seen on surveillance video dropping off her rent check about 8:30 p.m. May 2 in Orange. Roomate has been arrested for her murder.
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