STAR-SPANGLED ENCORE

He performed on the "Today" show, sang the funeral Mass for Tim Russert and belted out the national anthem for the Republicans during their last convention in 2008. On Tuesday, New Jersey-born tenor Philip Alongi Jr. is back in the political spotlight when he again sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Republicans.

The young Alongi has performed more than a dozen operatic roles across the United States, including productions of Carmen, Madama Butterfly and La Traviata. Since his last convention appearance, Alongi has released the debut albums "Heritage," a collection of songs and arias of Italy, and "New Life: Songs of Faith," a collection of sacred works spanning eras from the 17th century to today.

— Leanne Italie — Twitter http://twitter.com/litalie

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EDITOR'S NOTE — Convention Watch shows you the 2012 political conventions through the eyes of Associated Press journalists. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.