After slamming COVID-19 rules, Tritt to sing anthem at NLCS

Country musician Travis Tritt, who canceled shows at venues that required a COVID-19 vaccine or mask-wearing, was set to sing the national anthem before Game 6 of the NL Championship Series on Saturday night.

Tritt made the announcement on his Twitter page.

“FYI - I will be singing our National Anthem for Game 6 of the NLCS in Atlanta tonight between the @Braves and @Dodgers,” he wrote, adding an American flag to his post.

The 58-year-old Tritt is a native of suburban Marietta, not far from the Braves' stadium. He has been a vocal supporter of Atlanta's sports teams, even penning a forgettable 2004 ode to the city's NFL team, “Falcons Fever.”

Tritt announced this week he was canceling shows in Indiana Mississippi Illinois and Kentucky over COVID-19 mandates, joining other prominent entertainers such as Eric Clapton and Van Morrison in griping about rules designed to curb the spread of a virus that has killed more than 700,000 Americans and nearly 5 million people around the world.

Tritt told Billboard that he’s “not against the vaccine” but is “against forcing people to take medicine that they may not need and may not want.”

In August, he released a statement claiming COVID-19 safety protocols were “discriminating” against concertgoers and said that he stood with those standing up against “the squelching of any specific freedoms and basic human rights around the world.”

The Braves' 41,000-seat stadium, Truist Park, has allowed full capacity most of the season with no requirements for vaccinations, negative tests or mask-wearing from fans.

Tritt is a two-time Grammy winner who has had five songs go to No. 1 on the country music charts, the most recent being “Best of Intentions” in 2000.

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