Indy doctor picked to sing National Anthem ahead of NCAA championship game
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A longtime Indianapolis doctor will be stepping onto the Final Four court — but not to play basketball.
Dr. Eric Yancy is lending another skill: his voice. Monday he’s singing the National Anthem.
Yancy said he’s been singing since he was a boy and on some of the biggest stages around town. But the Final Four audience and TV cameras will be by far the biggest stage. As we still cope with the pandemic, he said this moment will be a good one.
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Lucas Oil Stadium is gearing up for one of the biggest moments in college basketball. For weeks the city and country have waited for the Men’s Final Four.
But before tip off, Yancy is stepping on the court to represent health care workers everywhere. Yancy has been singing since he was 5 years old.
“When you consider the cameras and the national audience, I would have to say yes. This is the largest stage so far,” he said.
But this is a lot different from his work as a pediatric physician. It’s another passion.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to do from the time I first started. I wanted to be in an area that I could serve every child there who may not have the opportunity to go elsewhere.”
This pandemic has been tough for everyone. And when he’s not belting out a tune, Yancy is lending his voice to spread COVID-19 awareness and facts about the vaccines. As one of the city’s leading doctors who happens to be Black, he’s taken up that responsibility.
“Many times we live in dense areas. Sometimes densely populated areas where the spread is just rampant. We have a number of we have a higher level of pre-existing conditions. And still the way out of a pandemic is through immunizations,” said Yancy.
While the pandemic is front and center in his mind, he’s ready to be front and center on the Final Four stage.
Yancy said singing isn’t the only talent he’s been sharpening in the pandemic. He also just finished writing a fiction novel.