Air National Guard vocalists savoring spotlight of NLCS at Busch Stadium

Staff Sgt. Brian Owens, of the St. Louis-based 571st Air National Guard Band, acknowledges applause from the crowd at Busch Stadium after singing "God Bless America" during the 7th inning of game three of the National League Championship Series last Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Major League Baseball)

By Bill Phelan
ngmo.pao@us.army.mil

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - As the St. Louis Cardinals prepare to play the Texas Rangers in the World Series, a member of the St. Louis-based 571st Air Force Band of the Missouri Air National Guard is making preparations of his own.

While still savoring his opportunity to sing "God Bless America" during game three of the National League Championship Series last Wednesday, Staff Sgt. Brian Owens has learned he will perform the same song in game one of the World Series tomorrow.

"The Cardinals asked me to come back," Owens said.

A Belleville, Ill. native now living in Ferguson, Owens, 31, is a vocalist with Sidewinder, the rock band element of the 571st that gained international fame via a YouTube video of their cover of "Rolling in the Deep," by Adele. The 571st, also known as The Band of the Central States, is headquartered at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and is one of 11 regional Air National Guard bands in the country.

Having sung before large crowds at youth events in San Antonio and New Orleans, Owens was none the less impressed by the spectacle of the national spotlight and the Major League playoffs.

"It was cool," Owens said of his performance at the NLCS. "Because it was a playoff game there was a whole different atmosphere - a different energy, a different vibe. Then, when I walked out, I got to stand behind home plate at the new stadium, which I have never done before."

While sound reverberation can be a real issue for anyone singing in a sports stadium, Owens said he did not have that problem.

"I don't sing from what I'm hearing, I sing in my head," he explained.

Basking in the national spotlight might become a common occurrence for Owens who recently signed a recording deal with St. Louis-based Destined to be Number One Records.

"We've already started recording," Owens said. "It's going to be an American Soul album."

Sgt. Owens and his wife, Amanda, are the proud parents of two children, Ellington, 3 and Ella, 2. The couple is expecting their third child soon.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please visit www.moguard.com and our social media sites: www.facebook.com/Missouri.National.Guard; www.twitter.com/Missouri_NG; www.youtube.com/MoNationalGuard; www.myspace.com/missouri_ng; www.flickr.com/photos/missouriguard; www.blog.moguard.com