dpAdam Lee Decker has sung the national anthem at the Carolina
Hurricanes games for the last nine years.
It includes singing the national anthem during Game 1 of the
Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center between the Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights.
Decker will sing the anthem again on Thursday night for Game
2, as the Canes look to even the series.
“There’s just so much love from the Canes fans, and I’m just
taking it in stride and just taking it one day at a time,” Decker said. “Canes
Nation has been incredible, and they’ve been great to me, and I just can’t wait
to fire off tonight.
“I’m super pumped.”
Decker, a Durham resident, warms up his vocal cords in a
corner by himself before delivering the anthem before the crowd at Lenovo
Center.
Tuesday night marked the Canes’ first time in the Stanley
Cup Final since 2006.
This year marks the Hurricanes’ eighth consecutive playoff appearance.
“It’s just really exciting to watch the community grow,”
Decker said. “We’re finally at that point and I remember Rody [head coach Rod
Brind’Amour] saying like, ‘Guys, eight years. Here we go. Like, we finally are
here.’”
WRAL Sports asked Decker if he considers himself a good luck
charm for the Canes.
“Basically, fans turn into clients and then they turn into
friends,” Decker said.
Watch: ‘So much love from Canes fans’: National anthem singer expresses appreciation
Decker is the lead singer of his own band, Adam Lee Decker
Music. He shared some of his music influences.
“Growing up, I was listening to Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller
[and] a lot of big band stuff,” Decker said. “And then, just trying to match
Wanya [Morris] from Boyz II Men off those early ‘90s albums. Mariah Carey, that
kind of stuff.
Decker said he recalled doing a French duet as part of kindergarten
graduation in central New York. He participated in madrigals, a cappella groups
and choirs growing up as a kid.
While at Ithaca College, Decker joined the professional a
cappella group, The Sons of Pitches. Formed in the mid-2000s in Ithaca, the Sons
of Pitches was a group that fused influences from classical, jazz, rock and
hip-hop into their vocal harmonies.
“Moving onto college, it kind of started there, and I just
knew I wanted to do this, I just didn’t know where, who or how,” Decker said.
Decker is also a father of two children. He said they want
to perform, just like their dad.
“It’s cool because they get to watch dad kind of rise to
this occasion and I feel like a good role model for them because I’m just me
still and just being humble,” Decker said.
Decker joked that his kids are his biggest critics.
“So like [they’ll say], ‘Dad, that note over there. I don’t
know man,’” Decker said of his kids. “‘We [have to] work on that one next time.’”
