Amirante, Rangers anthem singer, dies at 83

John Amirante, the anthem singer who performed before New York Rangers games at Madison Square Garden for 35 years, died Tuesday. He was 83.
Born in the Bronx, Amirante began performing for the Rangers in 1980 until retiring in 2015, though he made occasional guest appearances. He also sang the anthem for the New York Knicks and New York Yankees.

In a 2009 interview with New York Magazine, Amirante said his favorite performance came before Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, when the Garden was so loud he couldn't hear himself sing.
The Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 and won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1940.
"It was absolutely fantastic," Amirante said. "I felt like I was 10 feet off the ice. And I had chills going through my body, and the fans were just screaming and chanting. I loved every minute of it. And to this day, I can remember specifically how it was. It's a memory I'll never forget. And then the parade that followed, I was on a float, and the fans were singing the anthem to me as I went up Broadway. It was great."