Star-spangled singer is 10

The Grand Haven boy was asked to sing the “Star Spangled Banner” before the Whitecaps played the Lansing Lugnuts after being heard several months ago at a talent show at his school, Mary A. White Elementary School.

“It was nerve-racking at first," Ryan said. "But as I got into the anthem, I became less nervous."

As Tongue sang the national anthem, about 40 friends and family members were standing at their seats behind home plate encouraging him. Ryan’s dad, Sheridan Tongue, documented the experience on his camera.

“His voice is very pure, a lovely tone, a little vibrato,” Sheridan said. “He sounded great.”

The Tongue family has lived in Grand Haven for the past year, but they also live in England. Ryan’s mother, Pamela, is originally from Spring Lake, but his dad is from England. The family decided to give Ryan and his brother, Tristan, a year in America.

When the Tongue family was contacted about their little singer performing before the baseball game, it took Ryan a few days to decide.

“I was really, really nervous at that time,” Ryan said. “It took me a couple of days to decide. I would have said yes right away if I wasn’t so nervous. I just thought about it and thought what it felt like at the talent show, and I realized it wasn’t all that hard."

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