9-year-old boy wows with amazing rendition of national anthem

Ronnie Koenig
Updated ·3 min read

The morning announcements at Bates Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky got a serious upgrade last month when third grader DCorey Johnson belted out the national anthem over the school's loudspeaker.

A clip of the 9-year-old boy with some serious pipes went viral when the school's principal shared it on social media.

Bates Elementary School Principal Alecia Dunn told TODAY in a Facebook message, "His teacher told me he could sing but I had not had the opportunity to hear him until the day he sang The National Anthem. He was absolutely amazing! His infectious smile and personality are even bigger than his voice."

In the one-and-a-half-minute video, posted to the school's Facebook page on April 23, Johnson is seen singing into a phone mouthpiece. Viewers can easily see the emotion in the young student's face as he belts out "The Star-Spangled Banner."

"What a way to start the school day!" posted one commenter. "You are blessed with an amazing voice and the knowledge to use it so well! Dream big, Dcorey!"

"Absolutely beautiful voice, DCorey," wrote another person. "Sing it, sing it loud, sing it proud. Goosebumps."

The moving rendition affected others outside Kentucky too.

"Wow," posted another commenter. "I am still shaking and crying. What an amazing voice. What an amazing boy! Lots of love for that young man, all the way from New Mexico."

There was a similar reaction on Twitter where the school also shared the video.

"Bravo to 3rd grader Dcorey Johnson for bringing down the house," the school posted, adding the hashtag #amazingbates in reference to the school name and the popular Christian hymn.

"OMG," posted one commenter. "My heart is full!!"

"Beautiful voice!" wrote another fan. "I would love to hear him sing LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING!"

"Just saw you on the news," tweeted another person. "Wow, you can sing. I know your parents are so proud. Thank you Principal for sharing with the world."

Dunn said the reaction to the video she posted has been overwhelmingly positive. "Recognizing and celebrating our students is just part of our positive culture at Bates. Going viral has brought a lot of attention to our amazing school and our students are inspired. I had three second grade girls ask to sing the national anthem yesterday and of course, I said yes."

NBC's Joe Fryer shared on Saturday's Weekend Morning Boost that Johnson has since received requests to perform at sporting events and it's easy to see why. This is certainly one young man who will go on to inspire others with his strong voice and big talent!

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