Legendary actor James Earl Jones passed away on Monday, September 9.
Jones, known for his powerful and memorable voice, passed away at the age of 93.
Even if you don’t recognize his name, you’ve probably seen at least one of his many projects throughout his long and successful career. James Earl Jones was known for his distinctive voice, which brought life to iconic roles like Darth Vader in Star Wars, Mufasa in The Lion King, and many others in both films and Broadway.
Jones also appeared in two of the most classic baseball movies of all time. In 1989, he played Terence Mann in the American sports fantasy film Field of Dreams. Then, in 1993, he portrayed Mr. Mertle in The Sandlot.
Throughout his impressive career, Jones won three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Grammy, highlighting his incredible achievements in acting and voice work.
James Earl Jones Recites The National Anthem At The 1993 All-Star Game
Jones’ passing is undoubtedly a significant loss to the entertainment industry. Many have paid tribute to his legacy, including his former co-star Kevin Costner. On social media, Costner honored Jones with a post expressing the gratitude he feels to have been able to work with him.
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Along with the outpouring of tributes, the MLB (Major League Baseball) also honored Jones by sharing a video on their Instagram page. The video features the time when Jones lent his iconic voice to recite the National Anthem.
In the video, Jones is seen at the microphone, given the opportunity to perform the National Anthem at the 1993 MLB All-Star Game held in Baltimore. During this special moment, Jones uses the power of his voice to speak the anthem rather than sing it, while a choir provides background vocals.
“Only he can do the National Anthem like that. I don’t wanna see anybody else try,” one person wrote in the video’s comment section.
“You know you have an iconic voice when you don’t even have to SING, and it still sounds beautiful,” another said.
Even Kevin Costner left a comment under the video, simply writing “Unforgettable.”
Watch James Earl Jones recite the National Anthem in the video below.