Luke Bryan to Sing National Anthem at Super Bowl LI
Luke Bryan will add one major item to his résumé in February, when he sings “The Star Spangled Banner” before Super Bowl LI. Slated for Sunday, February 5th, this year’s edition of the game will be played at Houston’s NRG Stadium.
Bryan joins an august lineup of previous Super Bowl National Anthem performers, an honor bestowed on Idina Menzel, Garth Brooks, Mariah Carey, Dixie Chicks and Whitney Houston, among many others. It will be Bryan’s first appearance on the Super Bowl stage. In addition, DPAN-TV anchor Kriston Lee Pumphrey will perform in sign language the National Anthem and “America the Beautiful,” on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf.
A repeat CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year winner, Bryan is certainly no stranger to commanding a stadium-sized audience. Over the years, he’s sold out tour stops at Chicago’s Soldier Field, Denver’s Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Detroit’s Ford Field and Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field, among others. His Kill the Lights tour continues through March 2017, which includes a stop at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden. Aside from a handful of festival dates, Bryan’s summer tour plans have not yet been announced.
Lady Gaga, who performed the National Anthem at last year’s Super Bowl 50, returns to the Super Bowl as headliner for the halftime show. She’s kept details about the performance under wraps thus far. “Maybe I have something small planned,” she told Rolling Stone back in October. “Maybe I’ll just do a lemonade stand. That would really upset people though – I won’t do that, don’t worry.”
Super Bowl LI will be broadcast live on Fox Sunday, February 5th.