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Protect, serve and sing! A University of West Virginia cop stunned the crowd before a basketball game with his version of the "National Anthem." Campus police officer Carlton Smith, saved the day when he stepped in to perform before the college basketball game, after the original singer got stuck in traffic and couldn't make it. When the opportunity struck, the seasoned singer couldn't say no.
Carlton Smith wowed the crowd with his vocals Photo: Youtube
"They were like: 'Hey, we need a favor. Can you sing the anthem,' Carlton told Inside Edition. "I said, 'how long do I have?' They said 'about five minutes.'"
Carlton's face may look familiar. In 2014, the police officer put down his flashlight and badge, and took a 10 hour road trip from West Virginia to Boston for the American Idol auditions. The cop, who was raised singing in church, made it past judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. and received a ticket straight to Hollywood.
Although he did not become the next American Idol, Carlton admits he never turns down the opportunity to show off his talent. "Any chance I get to do the 'National Anthem' is always a big deal to me," he said. "I was just basically hoping I didn't mess it up too much."
Although Carlton won't be performing on TV weekly on American Idol, you can still watch the judges and root for plenty of other hopefuls, who will try out to take the title for the final season on Fox Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
WATCH CARLTON SING THE ANTHEM BELOW