Gladys Knight Defends Singing National Anthem After Don Lemon Asks If She’s Concerned It Could Hurt Her Career

With singer Gladys Knight having just performed the national anthem at the Super Bowl, there was contention by some who wished she had not given the controversy surrounding Colin Kaepernick.

She explained her decision to perform on Friday during her interview on CNN.

“People are going to have their opinions. You know, about whatever. And all I can deal with, all I can deal with right now is what my heart says. Okay? I believe in fairness,” Knight explained. “I believe in truth. I believe in all of those things, and as far as this is concerned, I grew up with the national anthem. We used to sing it in school before school started. We used to say prayers in school before school started, and we just don’t have that anymore and I’m just — I’m just hoping that it will be about our country and how we treat each other and being the great country that we are.”

Lemon pointed to how a New York Times article wrote how a singer at President Donald Trump’s inauguration lost her career for taking the gig.

“You have a much longer history and resume, right? And a legend in this business. Is that a concern for you at all given the controversy surrounding this,” he asked.

Knight said it comes down to being respectful to the country:

“You know what? Nothing good comes easy. And I would hope that they will understand as I do that we have a better way to do this than to be angry and why is he doing this or why ain’t she doing that, you know? For me, it’s just for me about respect. If we start denying the anthem, there are so many people that have died for our country and there are so many people in my family that are still part of, you know, just standing for the country, they are in the services and that kind of thing and just to not say that if you really listen to the lyrics of the beginning, you’ll understand that. We have fought hard for a long time and not just in wars.”

Watch above, via CNN.