Kelly Clarkson Ate Mushrooms Ahead Of Inauguration: Key To Her Singing Live?

The night before her performance of "My Country ‘Tis of Thee" at President Obama’s second inauguration on Monday afternoon, Clarkson and her friends ate a meal that included lasagna, chicken parmesan, and stuffed mushrooms at Washington, D.C.'s Buca di Beppo, TMZ said.

Clarkson took a picture with the restaurant staff after the $230 meal.

Now, it is being speculated that stuffed mushrooms were the key to her singing live, as opposed to using a pre-recorded track.

Clarkson’s rep was quick to tell fans that the former "American Idol" winner sang live following reports that Beyonce lip-synced the National Anthem. 

Beyonce gave an outstanding performance at the Presidential Inauguration, but days later, she was accused of lip-syncing. The New York Post reported that a representative for the United States Marine band said that Beyonce decided to sing using a pre-recorded track right before she took the stage.

“All music is pre-recorded for the ceremony because there are so many eventualities and conditions that day,” Kristin DuBois, a band representative told Page Six.

“We performed, live, the band. But we received last-minute word that Beyonce was going to use the pre-recorded vocal track. Those were the instructions we were given. We don’t know what the reason why.”

Beyonce is not the first superstar to lip-sync during a major performance. In 2012, it was speculated that Madonna lip-synced during her 12-minute half-time performance at the Super Bowl.

In 2009, Jennifer Hudson lip-synced the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. American Idol music director Ricky Minor told the Associated Press that he asked her to lip-synch to a previously recorded track.

Aretha Franklin, who sang at Obama's 2009 inauguration, said the cold weather warranted Beyonce lip-syncing "The Star-Spangled Banner."

"The weather down there was about 46 or 44 degrees and for most singers that is just not good singing weather," Franklin told ABC News after noting the news gave her a good laugh. "When I heard that I just really cracked up. I thought it was really funny, but she did a beautiful job with the pre-record ... next time I'll probably do the same."