Rene Rancourt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rene Rancourt (born 1939 in Lewiston, Maine) is a professional singer. He has sung the U.S. and Canadian national anthems at Boston Bruins home hockey games for over 30 years. Rancourt is such a part of the Bruins' establishment that he is the only person mentioned by name in the Dropkick Murphys' song: "Time to Go". He does not have a contract with the Bruins. According to Rancourt, "I’ve never had a contract; I’ve always just shown up and I’ve become associated with the Bruins."
Rancourt first began singing the anthem in Boston at Fenway Park. He took part in an opera singing audition on the radio and was heard by John Kiley, long-time organist at both Fenway and the Boston Garden. Rancourt sang before Game Six of the World Series in 1975 when singer Kate Smith cancelled her appearance. Rancourt's ambition was to become an opera singer. The strength of his trained voice overcame the acoustic shortcomings of the old Boston Garden. In 1976, he began singing regularly for Bruins games.
Rancourt's signature fist-pump at the end of the anthem was modeled after the Stump Pump of former Bruin, Randy Burridge, whom Rancourt admired. Rancourt also salutes at the end of the anthem.
Rancourt still performs the anthem before Bruins games, as well as singing at auto races, charity events, and nursing homes in and around New England. Rancourt has not publicly revealed his age, although a 2004 Boston Globe article gives his age as 60-something.
In the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2004 between the Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens, two of hockey's "Original Six," Rancourt's rendition of "O Canada" was drowned out with cheers and the banging of Thundersticks from the sold out TD Banknorth Garden crowd of 17,565, which was in retaliation to the boos that the American national anthem received in Montreal.
