Emmanuel College Alumna Mollie Walton Corbett (’95) sang “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch of Game 5 of the World Series on Nov. 1. Her performance was viewed by more than 50,000 fans in Texas Rangers Stadium and broadcast to millions of television viewers.
Despite the massive crowds, Corbett says she found herself surprisingly calm when the big moment came.
“I felt absolutely electrified, as though I were stepping into a moment designed by God specifically for me. He met me at home plate and gave me an audience of millions to proclaim His blessing,” says Corbett, a Virginia Beach native who currently resides in Shreveport-Bossier, La.
The opportunity to sing at Texas Rangers Stadium came through Corbett’s husband, USAF TSgt Charles Corbett, who is stationed in nearby Arlington, Texas. He encouraged her to sing at various Air Force events, which led his squadron commander to recommend her to sing the National Anthem and “God Bless America” at Texas Rangers Stadium. Mollie had performed at two previous Rangers games before being invited to sing at the World Series. She has also performed several times for the AAA Minor League Norfolk Tides at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Va.
“The World Series is my largest audience to date, but it felt really quiet and intimate on the field. It’s not as loud on the ball field as it is in the stands. It really feels like two different geographical locations,” says Corbett.
Corbett's performance was in honor of military service men and women and their families.
Corbett earned a B.A. in English with a minor in music (A.A.) from Emmanuel College, where she was a member of the Emmanuel Singers and took part in various campus musicals and productions. She went on to earn a master’s degree in theology from Regent University in 2006. Corbett says that many of her most meaningful relationships were formed during her time at Emmanuel and Regent.
“Those people in my life represent some of the greatest joy I’ve known in this life’s journey. I am incomplete without them, and I wouldn’t trade their presence in my life for anything,” says Corbett.
Corbett also has strong roots within the IPHC. She led worship at Centerville Christian Fellowship in Chesapeake, Va., from 1999 to 2002. Before that, she was a long-time camper and later a counselor in summer camps in the Eastern Virginia Conference (now Redemption Ministries). She fondly recalls working with Rev. Garry Bryant, current national field director of Acts2Day Ministries, as well as Pastor Danny Meads, who was music director at Norfolk First PHC in Norfolk, Va., (now Parkway Christian Center in Chesapeake, Va.), where Corbett attended as a child.
“He [Danny] gave me my first solo as a child and tried to teach me to play piano, but lost out to softball! He also introduced me to Junior and Teen Talent, and is still the teacher I consider my greatest defining influence on my talent as a singer,” says Corbett.
A self-professed Creative, Corbett has interests in a variety of artistic fields, particularly vocal performance and wedding/special event photography. She plans to sing at more Rangers games in 2011, and is exploring the possibility of releasing an album due to fan requests.
Mollie and Charles Corbett have been married since 2004. They have one son, Jackson, who is 3 years old.
You can learn more about Mollie Walton Corbett and her creative endeavors by visiting her Facebook music and business pages, or by following her on Twitter.
This story was originally published by IPHC News on www.iphc.org. Used by permission.
