ATLANTA -- What was a technical issue led to an incredible national anthem that's going viral.
Chinua Hawk was ready to sing the national anthem before Atlanta United FC's match against Houston Dynamo on Saturday.
But as he sang the first notes, fans couldn't hear any of it. The microphone wasn't working. Hawk stopped, but the fans had already begun singing. There was no stopping them. They sang the entire national anthem with no help. They belted with passion and unity, and it was inspiring.
Mic wasn't working. But it turned into the best national anthem ever. Well done fans. 🇺🇸 #ATLUTD #UniteAndConquer pic.twitter.com/YB1rsix1Ro
— 11Alive Sports (@11AliveSports) May 20, 2017
But what about Hawk? His moment was taken away from him, but he didn't mind at all.
"I thought it was incredible," Hawk told 11Alive on Sunday. "I knew from the first note that no one could hear me, so I stopped and started again. When I realized they still couldn't hear me, that's when the crowd started to sing."
As the camera went on Hawk, he could be seen smiling. He began to sing with the crowd.
"It made me smile because for that moment, we were not divided by politics, racial issues or anything else. We were one, and it was beautiful. I was honored to be one voice among many last night singing together in a unified spirit," he said.
"I've learned through the years that sometimes things just happen, and there's nothing you can do about it. So I decided to just go with it and enjoy the experience."
Hawk said Atlanta United couldn't have been any better about the entire situation and invited him back to sing the national anthem at a future match.
Atlanta United won the match 4-1 thanks to a Miguel Almiron hat-trick. Hawk said he wasn't really a soccer fan before Saturday night, but he's been converted.
"I'm definitely on board now. Then energy from the fans and the players was intoxicating. I'm all in," he said.
Hawk is an independent artist who likes to perform acoustic soul. He's released five albums. To learn more about him, click here.
