Martha Reeves has answered her critics, and her explanation reframes the entire weekend.

The Motown pioneer, 85, opened the inaugural Women’s Pro Baseball League game on this weekend (August 1) with ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’

Within minutes, clips had spread across social media, and the reaction turned savage.

Full story below…

Watch Martha Reeves’ National Anthem Performance

The showing appeared to be plagued by pitching issues and left many a jaw ajar.

Check it out:

What Martha Reeves Said

Reeves addressed the reaction in a statement, opening by noting she had only just marked her 85th birthday and has spent more than 60 years performing live.

She then explained the conditions at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois.

“The field conditions were wet and windy, and without stage monitors I wasn’t able to hear myself as I normally would.”

She acknowledged it fell short of what she had hoped for. Even so, she called the invitation an honour and said she would not have missed the chance to support the athletes or the league.

With that, what are…

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