By Troy Turner
AUBURN – Basketball fans fortunate enough to attend last Saturday’s hard-fought Auburn-Tennessee game briefly may have turned their heads before tipoff to notice the man singing the national anthem.
A day later for those who joined millions of others to watch the NFL’s nationally televised AFC Championship football matchup in Kansas City vs. the Buffalo Bills, there he was in the spotlight again.
Retired U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Generald Wilson became an instant sensation on social media after his Kansas City performance, having prompted an emotional and patriotic response to his rendition of the national anthem as fireworks, a bomber fly-over and tens of thousands of NFL fans filled the background.
The Auburn game came first, however, only a little more than 24 hours earlier, meaning Wilson, an avid Chiefs fan who lives in St. Louis, had to rush from Auburn to Kansas City. It was a challenging feat he recorded and commented about on his own social media accounts shortly before singing in his native Missouri.
“FROM AUBURN TO KANSAS CITY!!!! WE MADE IT FAMILY!!!!” Wilson said on Facebook before the Chiefs game. “Can’t wait to see and hear ‘The Kingdom’ (Wait……The Entire Nation) today singing OUR National Anthem in unison! Letzgoooooooo Y’all!!! Love each and every one of y’all to Life!”
The spectacular scene highlighted by Wilson’s booming voice immediately lit up social media sites, with comments ranging from some fans saying it brought them to tears, to others desperate to know more about Wilson, who wore his Navy uniform for both weekend performances.
Auburn’s Paris Buchanan, senior associate athletic director for fan experience and creative strategy, knew beforehand what to expect from Wilson.
“We were thrilled to have Generald Wilson join us on Saturday to perform our national anthem in front of a sold-out Neville Arena,” he told AlaDefense.com.
“This past fall once the SEC schedule was released, we knew that Tennessee would be a pivotal game for us at home. Having worked with Generald prior to this year at a previous institution, I knew the incredible talent he has and that we had to get him to Auburn for this matchup,” Buchanan said. “It certainly was well received with the Auburn Family, and to so many who love our country.”
After retiring from active duty with the Navy, Wilson became a human resources specialist with various agencies serving under the Department of Veterans Affairs.
And, he sings.
Wilson is a gospel music artist in addition to his travels singing the national anthem at various venues.
His Navy uniform and previous military service also makes him an ambassador for the United States Navy.
“You NAILED it,” a Chiefs fan posted Sunday on X. “Petition for you to ALWAYS sing the National Anthem. Truly one of the best renditions I’ve ever heard. You being in the Navy just seemed to make it even more special.”
Action during the Auburn-Tennessee game, won by Auburn. (Photo by Troy Turner)
Video of Wilson’s Auburn performance can be seen on the Auburn Men’s Basketball social media sites, including Auburn-Facebook and Auburn-X (Twitter).
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be contacted at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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