Anthony Gargiula’s first viral moment came when he was 7 years old: Singing the “Star-Spangled Banner” at a Siena University basketball game. In a black suit and tie, the little Glenmont kid swayed to the beat of his own soaring voice. Today, the video on his YouTube channel has garnered 4.8 million views.
In July, 19 years after the fact, Gargiula’s parents were visiting their sons — Anthony and the older Louis — both living in California while actively pursuing their careers. While driving, they heard Anthony’s voice — a voice that had begun developing in the pews of their church — pipe through their car radio, singing one of his original songs.
“I turned it up, and we heard Anthony. It was wild, really crazy,” said his mother, Jude-Ann, on a video call from her Glenmont home.
For years, Anthony Gargiula was the Albany County kid known for singing the national anthem at local baseball games and fairs until he got his big break on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” In 2012, the Times Union reported he had sung the “Star Spangled Banner” nearly 100 times by the time he was 13, “at events ranging from NFL games and the Belmont Stakes to corporate gatherings.” He also opened for the Jonas Brothers, sang at Country Fest in Altamont and beyond…