“Cornelison is more than a voice. He is a presence. He is the Statue of Liberty come to life.”
Jim's Top 10 Moments
#1
2009 NHL Winter Classic
My first Winter Classic in 2009 vs the Red Wings was something special. (I also did my second WC in 2019!) This was the first international, and major media, live event that I did as the Blackhawks’ new Anthem Singer. The energy was off the charts! Arriving at 9am for a noon start, I can still hear the symbiotic chants in my mind: “Let’s Go Red Wings!” followed by “Detroit Sucks!” So cold but such a thrill to be part of this storied rivalry and historic game at Wrigley Field.
Jim's Top 10 Moments
#2
2010 Blackhawks Stanley Cup Champions, Parade & Rally
This was the Blackhawks first Stanley Cup Championship since 1961 (We won again in 2013 and 2015!). Chicago had waited 49 years for this Cup, and what a magical celebration it was! Never in my life had I even considered the possibility of owning a championship ring. The parade through the streets of the city was surreal, like a parade from a different era for soldiers returning home from WW1, with ticker tape and confetti falling down on us from the skyscrapers above. The entire celebration was something special, that I will always remember.
Jim's Top 10 Moments
#3
2011 Chicago Bears Playoffs Games
2011 NFL Playoffs: Bears vs Seattle in the NFC Divisional Round, and Bears vs Packers for the NFC Championship. These two playoff games were amazing to be part of. First off, I grew up in Washington state as a Seahawks fan, so for me, the snow falling that day made it the quintessential winter football game, so beautiful! The epic Western Conference Championship game against the Packers brought historic adversaries together. Unfortunately the good guys lost!
Jim's Top 10 Moments
#4
Hawks vs. Bulls May 3, 2011
Falcons vs. Bears September 11, 2011
The Bulls played Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 3rd, 2011 - the day after Osama Bin Laden was killed. The Falcons played the Bears on the ten year anniversary of September 11th terrorist attacks. It was such an honor to be part of both of these games because of the deep meaning each of the opening ceremonies encompassed. I’m still humbled and touched when I remember these games.
Jim's Top 10 Moments
#5
2012 Ryder Cup Final Day
1st Tee and Closing Ceremony
It was a great opportunity to be chosen to sing the closing ceremony for this match up at Medinah Country Club, but I had more fun with an impromptu performance of 8 or 9 songs that Sunday morning at the first tee for several thousand spectators, and a few television stations. God Bless America, Beethoven 9 in german, America the Beautiful, O Sole Mio, the Star Spangled Banner (The Europeans cheered, too. It was so cool!), Danny Boy, Besame Mucho and even a short selection from Carmen in french. The Ryder Cup does golf the way it should be done!
Jim's Top 10 Moments
#6
Honorary Squadron Commander for
the USAF Band of Mid-America 2012
I met General Ray Johns (ret) on ice at a Blackhawks game. We had some conversations about how I might help the bands with presence in and around Chicago. Shortly after I had an invitation to Scott AFB and an invitation to serve as an Honorary Commander. What an honor!
Jim's Top 10 Moments
#7
Mom honored as veteran at 2012 Blackhawks game
Having my mom on ice with me as a vet for the Blackhawks game 2012 was such an amazing honor. Both my parents were WW2 vets; Dad an anti-aircraft artillery gunner and Mom an army nurse. Dad passed in 1995. Mom in 2017 at the age of 94. Both inserted in France and advanced into Germany. Thank you for your service mom and dad.
Jim's Top 10 Moments
#8
Appearances on the Colbert Report & Harry (Harry Connick, Jr. Show)
In honor of the 200th anniversary of the National Anthem, I was asked by the Colbert Report to perform the anthem as the sign off to the September 11th, 2014 show. Harry Connick Jr. heard my performance on Monday Night Football in 2016. Harry and his producers were so impressed that they had to book me as a guest. Just two very cool and fun NYC experiences!
Jim's Top 10 Moments
#9
2017 Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500 is like nothing else. If you haven’t been, put it on your bucket list. It doesn’t matter if you like car racing or not. It’s the biggest sporting event on a single day in the world, and will blow your mind! Over 300,000 people come every year AND you can bring in your own cooler!
Jim's Top 10 Moments
#10
NFL 100th Anniversary Season Opener 2019
The 100th year of the NFL kicked off on Thursday Night Football from Soldier Field in Chicago. The NFL could have chosen anyone to sing the Anthem for this historic event, but I was honored to have the opportunity to perform on this special night. The Bears lost that night, but the magnitude and spectacle of the game was magnificent!
Anthem Singer
From small town America, to opera house, to international sporting events.
Jim Cornelison has had the privilege to sing in opera houses throughout America and Europe before singing our national anthem and other songs at some of the worlds’ most prominent sporting events. He has seen the powerful and unifying impact the Star-Spangled Banner has for veterans, their families, and fans alike. And as the son of World War 2 veterans hopes to give back by supporting our veterans through Live the Salute and helping to nurture a love for what America stands for.
Live the Salute
We don’t know them all, but we owe them all!
That is why he began Live the Salute, a 501c3 charitable organization dedicated to supporting our veterans. You make a difference by supporting Live the Salute through direct donations, or by making a purchase from the shop.
Corporate Partnerships & Offerings
Jim the Corporate Speaker
Why is Jim’s version of the Star Spangled Banner considered unique and in such high demand? How does he win over massive audiences and stay consistent and compelling as a performer? How does he work to define and grow his brand? What gives Jim his competitive edge?
Listen as Jim sits down with founder of Be Sports Minded, Dafna Aaronson. Dafna will share her fascinating experience working with metrics and statistics for Deutsche Bank in HR Analytics and as Mental Skills coach for the NY Mets which lead to her vision to become the “Billy Beane” of the front of the baseball card. They will chat about the “attitude and action” Jim applies as well as characteristics that lead to his competitive edge; the same human traits that predict success in other high level performers differentiating those being good from those being great!
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Jim’s charity dedicated to honoring and supporting our veterans.
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