A country music singer has apologised for reading the words of the US national anthem from his hand at a Major League Baseball game in Missouri.
Luke Bryan faced criticism on social media after the performance, with some viewers calling him "unpatriotic", ABC News reports.
"Luke Bryan’s version of the national anthem @ the All-Star game last night was an epic fail. He needs to learn respect & remember the lyrics!" one person tweeted.
Video of Bryan singing at an All-Stars game in Kansas City, Missouri, shows him looking down at his hand several times throughout the song.
At one point he also looks down to check his watch.
"I had a few keys words written down to insure (sic) myself that I wouldn’t mess up. I just wanted to do my best. I promise it was from the heart," he wrote on Twitter.
"If I offended anyone with my approach I sincerely apologize. Anytime I sing the anthem it is an honor and my heart beats out of my chest."
Some of his fans leapt to his defence, with one tweeting: "The national anthem is one of the hardest things to sing, let alone to do it in front of thousands and millions watching".
