As a spokesperson for the U.S. Marine Band told CNN, Beyonce used a "pre-recording" of her rendition of the national anthem during inaugural ceremonies in Washington on Monday. But Bey isn't the first artist to rely on a pre-recorded track:
Jennifer Hudson and Faith Hill reportedly sang along to pre-recorded renditions during their performances at the 2009 Super Bowl.
Cold temperatures forced Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Itzhak Perlman to mime along to a pre-recording during President Barack Obama's first inauguration four years ago. "I really wanted to do something that was absolutely physically and emotionally and, timing-wise, genuine," Ma told The New York Times in 2009. "We also knew we couldn't have any technical or instrumental malfunction on that occasion. A broken string was not an option. It was wicked cold."
Luciano Pavarotti lip-synched his performance at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, conductor Leone Magiera wrote in his book in 2008. Low temperatures reportedly made it dangerous for him to perform live. Pavarotti died of cancer in September 2007.
Ashlee Simpson was caught lip-synching on "Saturday Night Live" in 2004. She had already made it through one performance -- her single, "Pieces of Me" -- when the band launched into "Autobiography." Simpson was dancing around with her mouth closed as her vocals on the pre-recorded track began.
Madonna was accused of lip-synching during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2009. But in all fairness, she was dancing around quite a bit.
Whitney Houston is believed to have lip-synched her impressive rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Super Bowl. Her spokesperson at the time said she was singing, but her mic was turned off so viewers heard a pre-recorded track.
Britney Spears has been known to lip-synch in order to keep up with her intricate and fast-paced dance routines. The pop star got caught in the act on her "Circus" tour in 2009.
Kanye West has been accused of lip-synching on "American Idol" and "Saturday Night Live," though the artist has attributed issues to technical difficulties.