Sports-entertainment impresario Vince McMahon has always ensured that his annual WrestleMania event is kicked off with an inspiring rendition of America the Beautiful — and this year he intends to the honors himself. 

A source close to McMahon revealed that the WWE honcho has been practicing with a vocal coach for several months now to restore the dulcet tones he made famous with his chart-topping 1987 debut single, Stand Back. 

“Vince has been singing backstage, at the gym, everywhere,” said the source, who, for the sake of anonymity, asked to be identified only as Terra, or alternatively as Mr. Ryzing. “Vince’s vocal range has even grown to almost an octave.”

Some of the greatest names in music have performed America the Beautiful at WrestleMania — Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard — and the DX Band has also performed it. 

McMahon has not performed live as a singer since the 1987 Slammy Awards, but fans have perpetually held out hope that he would one day return to the stage. 

Unconfirmed reports indicate that McMahon will be accompanied on bass by Hulk Hogan, who claimed today that he was a founding member of the Beatles.