Country music superstar Luke Bryan put his American pride on full display Sunday with a spectacular rendition of the national anthem before the New England Patriots faced off against the Atlanta Falcons in Superbowl LI.
For Bryan, the honor of performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” for the big NFL game took weeks of preparation, as it was his first time appearing on the Super Bowl stage. But, he showed no signs of nervousness.
With millions watching, Luke stood midfield amid a glorified American flag inside Houston’s NRG Stadium. He gripped the microphone and belted out the words to the challenging song a cappella. Luke showcased his range on the low notes and flaunted his falsetto on the high notes in his 2:04 performance, while actor Kriston Lee Pumphrey signed the song in American Sign Language. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds then did a flyover to beautifully cap off the spectacle.
Bryan’s performance followed “America the Beautiful,” performed by three original cast members from the Broadway musical “Hamilton” — Phillipa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry and Jasmine Cephas Jones.
Bryan is the first man to perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl since Billy Joel, who sang it in 2007. He is also the first star to represent country music since Carrie Underwood’s rendition in 2010. In addition to that, he follows an exclusive list of country artists Faith Hill, Garth Brooks and the Dixie Chicks, who have previously performed at the Super Bowl.
Nonetheless, the Georgian sure made America and country music proud!
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