Sun staff
Third generation village of New Richmond native John Hale will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America” at the 10th Annual Scholar-Athlete Banquet on April 10 at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va.
The banquet, which is sponsored by The National Capital Region Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, will honor high school senior football players who are continuing their career in amateur football at the collegiate level. Five players will each receive a $1,000 scholarship to be used for their post-secondary education.
According to John Hale, representatives from the United States Military Academy at West Point, high-ranking officers from the U.S. Army and Navy and notable football players will also be in attendance.
John Hale, who has earned local recognition for his singing talents, said the banquet is the “biggest” event at which he’s been asked to sing.
“I feel good about singing our national anthem,” he said. “It just makes me feel good to be able to sing that and “God Bless America”, because I’m so glad I’m part of this country and always have been.”
He added, “It just gives me a great feeling when I’m representing our country.”
John Hale was invited to sing at the banquet by longtime friend and fan Greg Oliver, who, for the past 11 years, has served as president of the chapter, which covers the Washington D.C. and northern Virginia area.
Oliver recalled meeting John Hale 40 years ago, when he was the head wrestling coach at Hillsboro High School in Highland County. Oliver’s team was visiting New Richmond for a two-day wrestling tournament.
“It was the tournament finals. The lights were dimmed and they introduced the finalists; it was kind of an electric moment,” Oliver said. “I remember John being introduced, grabbing the microphone and belting out the “The Star-Spangled Banner” like I’ve never heard. I had chills up my spine.”
He added, “I was like, wow, that gave me goose bumps.”
Oliver approached John Hale after the performance, and hired him to sing the national anthem at several sporting events that Oliver organized over the course of his career.
“I just was thinking several months ago that I need to connect with my friend John,” Oliver said. “We met over lunch, and I told him I would do anything to get him to come up and sing at the banquet; he agreed to make it work.”
He added, “He will put chills up the spines of these people.”
John Hale started singing during his senior year at New Richmond High School in 1952, after a classmate encouraged him to enter the school’s spring variety show.
“I originally said no; the only thing I did in high school was play basketball and baseball,” he said.
After further convincing, John Hale decided to audition for the show; he sang Tony Bennett’s “Blue Velvet.”
“The music teacher played the piano, and I sang,” John Hale said. “When I was done, the teacher said, ‘You’re in the variety show,’ and that’s how I started to sing.”
John Hale has since gone on to sing the national anthem at games for the Cincinnati Stingers, Reds, Cyclones and Bengals. He also sang the national anthem, for four years, during various events at the Clermont County Fair.
He continues to sing the national anthem and “God Bless America” at each of the New Richmond Summer Concert Series shows.
“When I’m singing this music, I feel great because I’m singing for my country, the United States of America, which I’m very proud of,” he said. “And I sing it with all my heart.”
John Hale was inducted into the New Richmond Lions Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and the New Richmond High School Fine Arts Hall of Fame in 2012.
He is an active member of Historic New Richmond and the RiverStage Theatre, and he is a parishioner of the Moscow Church of Christ, where he also sings.
John Hale, who is a purist when it comes to singing well-known music like the national anthem, practices daily vocal and breathing exercises to keep his voice healthy and does push-ups to stay in shape. Leading up to big singing events, such as the banquet, he always hopes he’s in good voice at the time of the event.
“I hope I don’t have any colds or anything when it comes to that time,” he added.
John Hale’s wife, Vickie Hale, also a New Richmond native, will join him on the trip. She got choked up when she spoke about her husband, who she called a “very special person.”
“He’s very humble and genuine,” Vickie Hale said. “When people meet him, they don’t forget him; he’s got a voice that you just don’t forget.”
She added, “It makes me so proud of my country, and of him, when I hear him sing. He’s the voice of Clermont County.”
Vickie Hale, who plays the piano, organ and is learning the dulcimer, said John Hale has “perfect pitch”, and she loves to hear him sing “Amazing Grace.”
“It’s because we’re both people of faith,” she added.
This past Valentine’s Day, John Hale surprise Vickie Hale with a 20 minute serenade.
“He just broke into love songs and sang to me,” she said. “I didn’t expect it; it was beautiful.”
She added, “He’s sweet; we have a sweet time.”
John and Vickie Hale are looking forward to the upcoming banquet; the two plan to do some sightseeing on their drive back to Ohio.
In advance of his upcoming performance, John Hale took an opportunity to look back and share what he’s garnered from singing.
“It’s a good feeling being able to sing, and sing out before the public,” he said.