PORTLAND, Maine — The man best known for belting his heart out as the official national anthem singer for the Boston Bruins can add a new title to his resume: children's book author.
Todd Angilly and his friend, Rachel Goguen, wrote "The Adventures of Owen and the Anthem Singer" together during the pandemic.
It was inspired by a moment between Rachel's therapy dog, Owen, and Todd at a Christmas parade.
"I taught him, during the national anthem, to sit," Goguen said. "So, during a parade, Todd asked if we could bring Owen, and when Todd belted out the anthem, Owen just sat there and listened."
Goguen captured the moment on video.
"The Adventures of Owen and the Anthem Singer" is now available in select bookstores and on Amazon. Angilly and Goguen said they have plans to expand the storyline further through different adventures. The book encourages readers and young children to find their voice and follow their dreams, advice Angilly has followed over the years.
"My dream was to be an opera singer. I studied at the New England conservatory; I was in the opera program. I wanted to be the next Pavarotti. But, you know, school loans and this and that, and life just catches up. It never worked out. I got a job at the [TD] Garden and became a probation officer." Angilly said. "But if you told me I was going to be singing the national anthem for the Boston Bruins, I definitely would have laughed at you. In that same sentence, though, why can't it happen? Why not? And when they had the audition, and while I was filled with doubt, I said, 'Why not? You know, stranger things in life have happened.'"
Goguen and Owen travel to local hospitals regularly to visit with patients and bring smiles to their faces. Those moments led to the decision to donate all of the proceeds from sales of the book to the Boston Bruins Foundation. Goguen hopes readers gain life lessons from the story.
"We really want people to find their voice, find themselves. And kids, find out who you are, find what you love in life, and do it," Goguen said. "You can do anything you want in life."