confusion over beyonce lip-syncing

Conflicting reports have emerged over whether Beyonce sang live at President Obama’s inauguration.

A spokeswoman for the Marine Corp Band told The Times in a “last minute” decision, Beyonce opted to perform to a pre-recorded backing track.

However, the Presidential Inaugural Committee told the BBC “no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded”.

But it confirmed that the band itself was not playing live.

Millions of people tuned in to watch the President be sworn in for his second term in office. The ceremony was punctuated by performances from James Taylor, Kelly Clarkson, as well as Beyonce.

When The Times reported that the singer had mimed, the story quickly travelled around the world.

The newspaper quoted a spokeswoman for the Marine Corp Band, Master Sergeant Kristin duBois, who said: “We pre-recorded all music as a matter of course and have done since time immemorial.

“This is our 54th inauguration… There is no question of there not being any music, it’s not because the performer cannot do it.”

However, the spokeswoman did not state outright that Beyonce mimed her part of the performance.

In a statement, the inaugural committee gave the BBC their version of events: “There was no opportunity for Ms Knowles-Carter to rehearse with the Marine Band before the inauguration so it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill-advised for such a high-profile event.

“Each piece of music scheduled for performance in the Inauguration is pre-recorded for use in case of freezing temperatures, equipment failure, or extenuating circumstances.

“Regarding Ms Knowles-Carter’s vocal performance, no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded.”