BEYONCE'S LIP SYNC'S NATIONAL ANTHEM AT PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION SETS OFF WIDE RANGE CRITICISM

Beyoncé’s dazzling rendition of the National Anthem at President Obama’s inauguration was a total fake — with the megastar lip-syncing as the Marine Corps Band merely pretended to play its instruments, sources said yesterday.
The Grammy-award winner’s decision to use a taped version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” stunned the first family, which handpicked her for the occasion.

“Oh, my God! You’re best friends with Michelle and you faked it! I am very upset,” said a source close to the Obamas. “I would like my three minutes back.”
Beyoncé’s performance was a well-choreographed acting job.
She made it appear as if she was belting out the anthem as a crowd of dignitaries and a million other attendees watched in awe from the National Mall. A worldwide television audience was also clueless to the chicanery.
As she mouthed the words, Col. Michael J. Colburn emphatically led the United States Marine Band, whose members acted as if they were blowing on wind instruments and horns and banging on drums throughout the song.
“We received last-minute word that Beyoncé was going to use a prerecorded vocal track,” said Kristin DuBois, a spokeswoman for the USMC band. “Those were the instructions given. We don’t know . . . the reason why.”
A Marine Corps spokesman suggested Beyoncé’s lack of rehearsal time with the band led to the decision to rely on at least a pre-recorded instrumental track.
Marine Capt. Gregory Wolf said there “was no opportunity for Ms. Knowles-Carter to rehearse with the Marine Band before the Inauguration, so it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill-advised for such a high-profile event.”
On Sunday night, Beyoncé posted a picture on her Instagram account that showed her recording the National Anthem with the Marine Corps band. In one shot, she has sheet music for the song.
Back-up tapes are standard procedure for presidential inaugurations as a precaution for technical problems or freezing-cold temperatures — but fellow performers Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor had no trouble singing on the same stage.
“Kelly did sing live!” chirped Clarkson’s rep. Taylor’s spokeswomen said, “He was playing and singing live.”
The disclosure that Beyoncé was faking it stunned Obama-administration insiders and inauguration planners — and set off a flurry of finger-pointing.