District 202 IT Data Support Specialist Curtis Compton has sung the national anthem more than 150 times at various sporting events, including the Joliet Slammers and Windy City Thunderbolts baseball games.
But his performance on August 6 before a Milwaukee Brewers game at American Family Field was especially meaningful.
Compton stood before more than 38,000 fans to perform “The Star Spangled Banner.” Among those in the crowd was his son, Ramiro, who is battling cancer.
Ramiro has a goal of visiting all the Major League Baseball parks, Compton said. He has been to Wrigley Field and Rate Field in Chicago.
Compton’s wife suggested it would be “cool” if Curtis could sing the national anthem when Ramiro visits a ballpark.
In April, Compton sent emails and called the management at five ballparks, including Busch Stadium in St. Louis; Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio; Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan; and Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Less than 48 hours after sending the email, Compton received a call from the Brewers, the one stadium where he really wanted to sing.
Milwaukee is the shortest drive from his home, and Compton has family in the area who attended the game, he said.
By that afternoon, he was scheduled to sing at the August 6 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“It was crazy,” Compton said.
Compton was a little nervous when he stepped onto the field, but when he started to sing, he was on autopilot.
Ramiro was standing behind him near the stands.
His sister and niece screamed when Compton finished singing.
“My son said ‘awesome’ when I walked off,” he said.
His sister told him he nailed it, Compton said.
Music is an escape, he said. “It makes the rest of the world go away for a while,” Compton said.
Compton also ran music, sound effects, and sang the anthem for the Joliet Jackhammers, now the Slammers, Frontier League baseball team for years.
He said he’s been singing since he was a kid, beginning in the car with his family. He also sang in the high school choir and in Madrigals.