‘Home of the Chiefs!’ When & why that KC-specific change to national anthem came to be

When the Chiefs traded for quarterback Joe Montana in 1993, fans hoped the four-time Super Bowl champion would end the franchise’s three-decade championship drought.

That didn’t happen, but Montana had a role in beginning a tradition that Kansas City sports fans continue to this day.

It’s the “Home of the Chiefs” ending to the national anthem that rings out before every game the team plays.

Kansas City was abuzz on Sept. 20, 1993. It was Montana’s home debut with the Chiefs for a “Monday Night Football” game against the Denver Broncos. A story in The Star that day noted Catholic schools had allowed students to wear red, employees at one law firm did the wave — in their office — and tickets were in high demand.

“The city’s ready for it,” Phil Youtsey, Chiefs director of ticket operations, told The Star at the time.

Adding to the excitement was the presence of the rock band Huey Lewis and the News, which was performing the national anthem that night.

That was Montana’s doing.

“Joe told me early on after trading for him and then signing him to a new contract that Huey was a really close friend, and that he could and would do a national anthem for us at Arrowhead,” former Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson recalled. “And I said, ‘Well, that’s a terrific deal.’ And so we put it together.”

Lewis, who had three No. 1 singles including “The Power of Love” from the movie “Back To the Future,” made a change to the national anthem that day, as the Kansas City Star story noted.

“The national anthem, sung by Huey Lewis and the News, was live — including the final line of the song ‘and the home of the...CHIEFS!’” wrote Kent Pulliam and Adam Teicher. “The rock band did not tape the song earlier in the day. It was one of the few times that the Chiefs have not had the artist record the anthem before the game.”

Lewis, 74, didn’t know it at the time, but that tweak would become permanent for Kansas City sports fans.

Chiefs fans continue it to this day. You’ll hear it not only at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, but across the way at Kauffman Stadium for Royals games and at sporting events all over the Kansas City area. That includes Allen Fieldhouse when the KU basketball team plays.

I asked Lewis what the inspiration was for the change.

“I can’t remember,” he said via email, “which means it was a last minute decision.”

Lewis who suffered hearing loss due to Ménière’s disease, didn’t realize he had started something that means so much to Chiefs fans to this day.

“I’m extremely flattered,” Lewis said, “and a little surprised no one thought to do it before.”

Recollections of that night

Lewis recalled how he tried helping Montana deal with the butterflies ahead of his first game in Kansas City. Before the anthem, Lewis convinced Montana’s father, Joe Sr., to stand with the band.

Joe Sr. began lip-syncing the anthem, which was being belted out by Huey Lewis and the News.

“I remember seeing us with Senior on the jumbo-screen while we were singing,” Lewis said, “and then looking at Joe on the sidelines, and him cracking up.”

“Home of the Chiefs” is certain to ring out Sunday ahead of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans because, well, it happens at every Chiefs game everywhere. Aside from the red in the stands, it’s a way to gauge how much of the crowd is from Chiefs Kingdom.

Peterson believes Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, who died in 2006, was thrilled by how Chiefs fans have embraced Lewis’ anthem.

“Quite obviously it stuck and stuck big time and grew over the years,” Peterson said. “And I think I can speak for Lamar, even though he’s not here anymore, but he loved it also, particularly when we would go on the road and they played the national anthem. We had, like the Chiefs today, a wonderful road crowd that ... would end up with ‘Home of the Chiefs.’”

Although some have expressed their displeasure about how Chiefs fans sing the “Star-Spangled Banner,” Peterson recalled visiting Fort Leavenworth, where the Chiefs-centric anthem was sung by members of the military.

“I will never think there’s a negative part of it, just a strong part of loyal fans in the NFL, and they love their team,” Peterson said. “A little bit of Chief lore.”

Lewis is pleasantly surprised to learn that his impromptu decision with the anthem has become a touchstone of the Kansas City sports scene. He has fond memories of that visit and others he made to KC.

“If you love football, you gotta love the Kansas City Chiefs,” Lewis said. “And I also love the town. Good food and friendly people.”

This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 9:58 AM.

Pete Grathoff

The Kansas City Star

816-234-4330

From covering the World Series to the World Cup, Pete Grathoff has done a little bit of everything since joining The Kansas City Star in 1997.