Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779 - January 11, 1843) was an American lawyer, an author, and an amateur poet who wrote the words to the United States national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".

John Stafford Smith was an English composer born in Gloucester, church organist, and early musicologist. He was one of the first serious collectors of manuscripts of works by Johann Sebastian Bach. He is best known for writing the music for "To Anacreon in Heaven". This song was written in the mid-1760s, when Smith was a teenager, and with words by Ralph Tomlinson it was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, a group of amateur musicians in London.

Peter George Norman was an Australian track star best known for winning the silver medal in the 200 metres at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. His time of 20.06 seconds still stands as the Australian 200 metre record. He is a five-time Australian champion of 200m. The gold and bronze medalists were Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos, respectively. On the medal podium, during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner", …

Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane KCB RN (April 23, 1758 - January 26, 1832) was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars. He was a son of the Scottish peer Thomas Cochrane, the eighth Earl of Dundonald, and an uncle of Admiral Thomas Cochrane, the 10th earl. Much of his career was spent with British naval forces in North America, where he saw service in the American Revolution and the War of 1812.

Ana Cristina Alvarez is a Cuban-American singer born on June 2, 1985 in Miami, Florida, to Cuban-American parents of European origin. At the age of 15, the 6-octave-vocal-range prodigy was signed by Sony International's label, Sony Discos. Her debut Spanish album "Ana Cristina", produced by Emilio Estefan, Rudy Perez and Manny Benito among others, followed in 2003.

Edwin Eugene Bagley was born in Craftsbury, Vermont. He began his music career at the age of nine as a vocalist and comedian with Leavitt’s Bellringers, a company of entertainers that toured many of the larger cities of the United States. He began playing the cornet, traveling for six years with the Swiss Bellringers. After his touring days, he joined Blaisdell’s Orchestra of Concord, New Hampshire. In 1880, he came to Boston as a solo cornet player at The Park Theater.

Helen O'Connell (b. May 23, 1920 in Lima, Ohio - September 9, 1993 in San Diego, California) was a singer, actress, and dancer. Helen O'Connell joined the Jimmy Dorsey band in 1939 and achieved her best selling records in the early forties with "Green Eyes", "Amapola," and "Tangerine." In each of these Latin-influenced numbers, Bob Eberly crooned the song which Helen then reprised in an up-tempo arrangement.

George Henry Preble (25 February 1816 - 1 March 1885) was an American naval officer and writer, notable for his history of the flag of the United States and for taking the first photograph of the Fort McHenry flag that inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner". He was born in Portland, Maine into a seafaring family; his father was sea captain Enoch Preble, whose brother was the noted Commodore Edward Preble. George entered the Navy as a midshipman on 10 December 1835, …

Kiley Dean (born April 12, 1982 in Alma, Arkansas), is an American female R&B singer. She was briefly signed to Beat Club/Interscope Records, releasing two singles before label problems shelved her Timbaland-produced debut, "Simple Girl" in 2004. She recorded a second album, "Changes" yet it has not been released. Kiley was just recently signed to Matthew Knowles label "Music World". She is currently in the studio recording her debut album.

Julie Dubela (born on January 16, 1991 in Jupiter, Florida) is an American singer living in Stratham, Rockingham County, New Hampshire. She is well known in and around the Boston, Massachusetts area for her live performances of the The Star-Spangled Banner and has also gained national attention for her TV appearances.

Alice Peacock (born November 19, 1971) is an American folk singer and has recorded three independent albums. A native of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, she currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, where she sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at U.S. Cellular Field during the 2005 playoff run of the Chicago White Sox and on April 4, 2006, at their World Series ring ceremony. Her song "Leading With My Heart" was featured on the soundtrack for the film "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!".

Dana Key (born December 30, 1954) is a guitarist and singer, who was a co-founder of the Christian rock group DeGarmo & Key with keyboardist Eddie DeGarmo. Key, a direct descendent (great, great, great, great, great great grandson) of the famous Francis Scott Key, author of "The Star-Spangled Banner". "DeGarmo & Key" toured the world, headlining and opening with other major Christian Rock bands including Servant, Petra, Joe English, Amy Grant, …

John Kiley (died 1993) was the organist at Fenway Park from 1953 to 1989 and contemporaneously for Boston Garden as well. He is credited with having discovered the Boston Garden's resident singer Rene Rancourt. Kiley was a veteran movie theatre organist from the silent film era. According to a 1993 Boston Globe obituary: "From the age of 15, when he made his professional musician's debut at the Criterion Theater in Roxbury, …

Spensha Baker is an American singer from Killeen, Texas. She began her singing career as a contestant on "Star Search" in 2003, in a competition eventually won by Tiffany Evans. Her performance highlights include singing The Star-Spangled Banner at the Presidential Address to 25,000 United States soldiers in Fort Hood, where she met President George Bush. Baker's official website announced in June 2006 that her début CD is "in the works".

Ari Margo is Mitch Margo's younger son, who performs with his Father in the oldies band, "The Tokens" who were made famous by their 1961 recording of The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Ari's name is derived from the Hebrew word meaning "Lion"; see Animal names as first names in Hebrew). Ari reluctantly was forced into joining the choir by his mother in 6th grade but ended up enjoying it so much that he stayed with the choral program until he graduated high school.

James Sample was an American conductor born October 8, 1910 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and died October 7, 1995 in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He began studying the violin at age ten and piano at age eleven. By the age of 20 he conducted his first symphony in Minneapolis. He earned his bachelor’s in music degree at the MacPhail School of Music in 1930. In Europe, he studied for four years receiving a diploma at the Mozarteum Salzburg in 1934, …

Lance Ryan (born February 5, 1980) is the morning and midday meteorologist for KCRG-TV, the ABC Television affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Lance Ryan was born Lance James Wamsley in Dubuque, Iowa, and grew up on a Black Angus beef cattle farm with his parents and two younger brothers near Cassville, Wisconsin in Grant County. He graduated from Cassville High School in 1998 at the top of his class as one of nine valedictorians with a 4.0 GPA.

Erika Jo Heriges (born November 2, 1986 in Angleton, Texas), known on stage simply as Erika Jo, is an American country music recording artist who is best known as the winner of the 2005 season of the "Nashville Star" television program. Eighteen years old at the time, Erika Jo is the youngest person to win the competition, as well as the first female winner.

Jessica Dragonette was a singer who was born in India on St. Valentine's Day, 1900, according to the Social Security Death Index (although this is not otherwise independently confirmable and she was always reticent regarding her age), and later raised in a convent there as an orphan. She began singing on radio in 1926. Jessica received the title "Princess of Song", from an admiring press. That moniker would be utilized to publicize future concert events, …

George Armistead (April 10, 1780 - April 25, 1818) was an American military officer who served as the commander of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. He was born in Newmarket, Caroline County, Virginia. George Armistead was one of five brothers who served in the War of 1812, either in the regular army or militia. He distinguished himself at the capture of Fort George from the British, near the mouth of Niagara River in Canada on May 27, …

Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3 1947 in Seattle, Washington) is an American singer and songwriter. She was told by industry advisers that her surname "Warnes" was too difficult and suggested that she change it to the more common "Warren". As this eventually led to confusion with actress Jennifer Warren, she adopted the stage name "Jennifer" (no last name) briefly in the 1960s, and subsequently returned to "Jennifer Warnes" as her professional name.