Milwaukee Bucks playoffs are about to begin!
Let’s hope National Anthem singer Ben Tajnai can be their good luck charm again this year.
WTMJ’s Libby Collins recently sat down with Tajnai to see how he got his start with the Bucks organization.
Listen to the full interview in the player above.
A portion of the conversation was transcribed below, courtesy of eCourt Reporters, Inc.
LIBBY COLLINS: So, how old were you when you first started singing for the Bucks?
BEN TAJNAI: Yeah, so, I graduated Roosevelt in 2013, and I was at a point in my life where, once I graduated, I was clueless of what I wanted to do again. Just like —
LIBBY COLLINS: From Roosevelt.
BEN TAJNAI: Yeah, yeah.
LIBBY COLLINS: Okay. So, this was just like after the two years at UWM.
BEN TAJNAI: Seriously, yeah.
LIBBY COLLINS: Okay.
BEN TAJNAI: Seriously, it was like — just like that. I was like, okay, now I got the degree I wanted, I finally — I got that music degree, what do I want to do now? I don’t know, like, what can I do? I don’t even know what I can do.
LIBBY COLLINS: Become a waiter at Ed Debevic’s.
BEN TAJNAI: That’s exactly it. Exactly, Ed Debevic’s. Exactly. And I was kind of like — so, I went — I moved back home. I’m very, very tight with my family, very tight with my parents. I moved back in with them, and I was like, I don’t know what I want to do. I was like, I just don’t know what I want to do. I’m clueless. And so, what I did was I went — let’s put it this way, I went through a really bad breakup. I went through a really bad breakup, and I was a little bit depressed at the time.
LIBBY COLLINS: Sure.
BEN TAJNAI: And so, I was like, I don’t know what I want to do with my life. I moved — I went back home. I started working at Olive Garden. That’s what I started doing.
LIBBY COLLINS: You were a waiter.
BEN TAJNAI: I was a waiter, you were right. I started working at Olive Garden because I had no clue. And, basically, at that time, I was just — I was in a mental state in my life where I was like — you know, I was just — I wasn’t in the best spot, just mentally. It wasn’t — it was nobody’s fault, but my own, I was just not in the best spot mentally. And I decided I was going to quit singing. I didn’t — I was like, I’m done, I don’t want to do it. I just don’t — I don’t see the — I don’t see the greener pastures. I don’t see how this is going to work out. I don’t even think I’m good enough. Like, that’s what I kept thinking: I don’t think I’m good enough; I don’t think I could even do this; no, I’m not Brad Pitt. So, I don’t — I don’t think — I don’t think I’m going to get it. That’s what I thought.
And so, I started working at Olive Garden, and it’s funny because we would do these — the Olive Garden people liked to karaoke, so we — so after like, I think it was Wednesdays — I believe it was Wednesdays, we would — we would get done with our shift on Wednesdays and we’d all go to TGI Friday’s and do karaoke. And I remember the first time we did it.
LIBBY COLLINS: What was your go-to song?
BEN TAJNAI: It was — it was Boyz II Men, I’ll Make love to You. That was my go-to song. Boyz II Men was like my favorite group growing up, always. I don’t know why, I just loved them.
And I remember the first time we went, and I went up there, and there was a pretty good crowd there, I mean, a lot of Olive Garden people, and none of them really knew how I could sing at all. I mean, they — they just thought I was a waiter and whatever and — because I was. And so, I went up there and I sang, and I started singing and they were just blown.
LIBBY COLLINS: Sing a little bit.
BEN TAJNAI: Yeah, it was like a song, so. So, they started — they started the song, and the guy — the guy who was the karaoke guy, whose name is Craig, ended up actually deejaying for my wedding — for my wedding — and at this time I wasn’t even with my wife. But anyway, so he puts the song on and it’s like, “Close your eyes, make a wish, and blow out the candle light.” And I kind of did, like, all these like riffs, and everybody was just like — they were literally like — they couldn’t believe it. They were shocked. They were like, who is this guy, you know? And I — you know, and I started getting into the — I started — I really got into it. You know, I was like, “I’ll make love –” and I was like — I was belting it out. I was really loud. And they — everyone just freaked out. They all stood up and cheered, and they were like, “Oh, my gosh, we had no idea you could do that,” you know. They knew that — I think they knew I was — I was — I went in the school for singing, but I don’t think they knew I was, like, good at it. I think they just thought I was just whatever. And I did this thing, and
it just went so well. And I was like, oh, my gosh, like, I miss this, you know.
And — and so what happened was, is I was — I was working at Olive Garden, was going through some — some stuff. I did that, and it was really fun, we did that a couple of weeks in a row, you know, it was fun. I was like a celebrity there for that.
LIBBY COLLINS: At the Olive Garden.
BEN TAJNAI: Isn’t that funny, like, it was so random.
So, then I run into my old choir teacher from Arrowhead, her name is Cathy Pfeiler, we’re still friends — and she goes — I ran into her at a funeral. I ran into her at a funeral, and I hadn’t done — I hadn’t done any theater or singing for like two years, like a year-and-a-half. And she goes, “Hey, you know, oh, my gosh, I can’t believe I’m seeing you here,” and blah, blah. She’s like, “We’re doing this show, like, at a community theater, it’s called Spamalot and we have a little part for you, and I know you’re not doing singing anymore or performing, but maybe you could, like, get your feet wet. We have this little part for you.” You know, it’s not — none of it’s paid, it’s community theater.
And I was like, no, I’m not doing that. I’m like, that’s a waste of my time. And she’s like, “I think you’ll have fun,” you know. And she’s like, “There’s some cute girls in there.”
And I’m like —
LIBBY COLLINS: See.
BEN TAJNAI: And I was like, sure, Cathy, sure, you know it’s like — I was like — I was like, Cathy, I know everybody in Hartland.
Like — like, I — you know what I mean, like, that was one of those things. Like, I know everybody, I doubt it, you know.
So, I went home and I talked to my dad, like I always do. And I said — I said, what do you — like, Dad, I saw Cathy. You know, I saw Cathy, she — she thinks that she wants me to do the show. And I was like, I really don’t want to do it though. And he’s like, yeah, you maybe should think about it. You know, singing makes you happy. You haven’t done it in a while, you know, you always have fun. And he knew I was in kind of a tough spot mentally at the time, and so he was trying to get me to do something fun. And I was like, I don’t know, Dad. He goes, you never know, maybe you’ll meet your wife there. And I’m like, Dad, like, I know everybody in Hartland, you know.
So, long story short, I decided to do it, because, basically, I just wanted to get back into it. I wanted to — you know, I wanted to do something fun, but really, I wasn’t even thinking about — like, I wasn’t going to do it for a while. I was just going to do the one show and I was out. That was what I was gonna do. And it was a little part, very little.
So, I went to the first rehearsal, nobody there was my age, they were much older than me, the females, much older. Like – like I’m, you know, 26 or 27, and they’re like, you know, 60. And I’m like — you know what I mean?
LIBBY COLLINS: Grandma.
BEN TAJNAI: And I’m like, I mean, you said — I mean, like — I mean, they were cute — they were cute for 60-year-olds, but I’m not necessarily looking to — you know what I mean, like, I’m not necessarily looking to get married to a 60-year-old. I’m not trying to sound rude, but — you know what I mean.
And so, I was like, what am I doing here, you know. And we were singing through these songs, I didn’t even like them. I was like, what are we doing here. All of a sudden, at the very end of the rehearsal, this girl walks in. And she — I was like — and she was cute, and she was my age, she was age-appropriate. And I was like, this girl is kind of cute, and that was shocking to me, because she came at the very end. I was like, is this — does this person work here? Is she — is she new around here. Like, who is this girl. And so, it turns out she was in the show.
And so, Cathy pushes me at her and says, “Hey, this is Sarah. Ben, this is Sarah.” And I go — and then Cathy walks away, and I’m like, oh, my gosh. I’m like, Hey, you know. And she had to, like, take my measurements for the costumes — Sarah.
And anyway, I asked her on a date, and we ended up — you know, we’re married now. We’re married now.
LIBBY COLLINS: So, it worked out.
BEN TAJNAI: So, it worked out. We’re married now, and we have — you know, we have our fourth kid due in February.
And the reason I bring this story up is because at that time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Like I told you with — from Olive Garden, I didn’t know if I wanted to perform or what I wanted to do. And we were doing that show, and then — then there was another show that came around right after that called Bonnie and Clyde.
I decided to do that, too, because I had fun with Spamalot, and I met this girl that I was dating, and I liked her. And while we were doing Bonnie and Clyde, a friend of mine named Sandy came up to me and she goes, “Hey, they’re doing auditions for the Bucks National Anthem.” And she knows — she knows I like sports. And she — she had — Sandy thought I was a good singer. She had faith in me, even when I didn’t. And — and, of course, so did Sarah. And they’re like, you gotta try out for the Bucks’ thing. I was like, no, I’m not trying for this Bucks’ thing. Like, I can’t get — I’m not even good. I’m doing like — I’m doing, like, minor roles in these shows, I’m not even anything. You know, at this time I had — I had gone to a few auditions that I said I went to and I didn’t actually go. And I would tell Sarah that they went really well, and I had — I never even went, because I was just — I wasn’t confident. And she found out that I had lied about a couple of them. And so, for this Bucks’ one, like, she was going to make sure I showed up to that thing.
And so, my mom actually ended up bringing me to the Bucks. It was at the Bradley Center. My mom actually ended up bringing me there — well, I drove, but my mom went with me. And it was like, the Bucks’ audition was like an American Idol — American Idol-style audition. They gave you a number, you go up there, they make it — they made a little — you weren’t on the court, they made a little stage with a microphone. You sang in front of a couple of the people that I know now who worked for the Bucks and, you know, a couple of people sang, and a lot of little kids.
And — but then there was a couple adults, a couple of good ones. And then I sang, and I was like, yeah, you know, it went okay. I didn’t think it was, like, amazing. And they’re like, yeah, you know, if we like it, we’ll call you in like two weeks or something, you know.
And anyway, they — two weeks went by, no call. And then, all of a sudden, like three weeks later, I was hanging out with — with my wife — well, I was hanging out in her place, actually she wasn’t home at the time. All of a sudden, I get an email from the Bucks, and I was just so excited. I was just like — I was so pumped. They — they — this — this girl at the time, she doesn’t work there anymore, but her name was Elizabeth, she — she emailed me and she goes, you know, we want to have you for a game against Denver in a couple of weeks. And — and I was like, are you kidding me. I couldn’t believe. And it was a smaller-scale game, like, Denver at the time was no good. And it was kind of like a — it was a smaller-scale game.
LIBBY COLLINS: Well, and the Bucks weren’t playing real well then either.
BEN TAJNAI: The Bucks weren’t the best at the time, yeah. They were — they were, like, amongst their — some of their worst seasons record-wise, you know. Of course, I was still a fan, I was always a fan but –
So, when they — when they emailed, I was so — I was jacked. And so, I said, yes, you know, and I did it. And I went there and, you know, the Bradley Center wasn’t as full as the Fiserv is now, because they weren’t very good, and — but I was so nervous. My legs were shaking, my arms were shaking, my hands were shaking. I was so incredibly nervous. And I sang, and I — I barely remember it because I almost blacked out, I was so nervous. But it went well. It went well. And, honestly, they — I think they were sort of testing me, you know, they put me in a smaller-scale game, like, the team they were playing wasn’t very good either. So, it was a smaller-scale game, and I think they were kind of — to see how it would go. And I’m not a hundred percent on that, but that’s what I think. And then because then they emailed me, like, the very next day and was, like, we want you to do more. And they gave me a bigger game, then a bigger game, and then a bigger game. And then, all of a sudden, I’m doing the playoffs back then when they started making it, like, two years later. And then that was how it all started.
