
Detroit rockerJack Whitegot to celebrate his 50thbirthday Wednesday, July 9, in grand and quirky hometown style: with a rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" from actor friendJohn C. Reillyat Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. Reilly, clad in a Tigers baseball jersey, stepped to the mound ahead of the team's game versus the Tampa Bay Rays. At first, it looked to be your standard ceremonial first pitch by a visiting celebrity. White, a lifelong Tigers fan, sat in a stadium suite with his wife and mom. Then came the moment that clearly surprised White: With a count of "1, 2, 3," Reilly led the crowd in a birthday serenade to his musician pal. did they just become best friends??jk, they already werepic.twitter.com/tQDb9pl1gc — Detroit Tigers (@tigers)July 9, 2025 The live sing along was followed by "Seven Nation Army" over the PA at Comerica Park, where that White Stripes classic has been a longtime go-to song for the Tigers. Reilly is a Chicago-born comic actor and musician who befriended White years ago through their shared bond as Midwestern-raised Catholics. In 2011, he released a pair of country singles via White's Third Man Records and more recently took a starring role in the music video for "Archbishop Harold Holmes," a hit track from White's "No Name" album. In a follow-up interview July 9 in the Tigers' broadcast booth, Reilly confirmed that the supersized birthday greeting was a surprise for White, who didn't even know his actor friend was at the ballpark. Reilly also noted that his jersey was the same one he wore in the 1999 movie "For Love of the Game," theKevin Costnerfilm in which Reilly played a fictional Tigers catcher. White, a southwest Detroit native, was born on July 9, 1975. He went on toform the White Stripesand lead a Motor City rock renewal at the turn of the 21st century. Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press:John C. Reilly sings Jack White happy birthday at Detroit Tigers game