The Super Bowl is always one of the biggest sporting events of the year. This year, though, it will be even bigger. The Big Game is coming to Las Vegas for the first time. As a result, the NFL has pulled out all the stops to bring some of the biggest names in entertainment to add excitement to the game. For instance, country icon Reba McEntire will take the stage before the game to perform the National Anthem.
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After the news broke, McEntire took to social media to share her excitement. “I’m honored to be part of something as big and historic as the Super Bowl coming to Las Vegas for the first time,” she wrote in the post. However, she wasn’t initially sure about the performance.
Last week, McEntire appeared on CBS Mornings to discuss her upcoming performance at the Super Bowl. “I got the news from my manager, Justin McIntosh,” she said via video chat on the show. “I said, ‘Oh my gosh. Well, let me think about that,” she added. Luckily for her fans, her boyfriend, Rex Linn helped her make the decision.
“Rex Linn, my boyfriend, who is a huge football fan, he said, ‘Yes, she’ll do it, absolutely,” McEntire revealed.
This is her first time performing at the Super Bowl. However, it isn’t her first time singing the National Anthem before a big event. While “The Star Spangled Banner” is hailed as one of the hardest songs to sing, McEntire didn’t seem nervous during her interview. She already has a warmup strategy. “How you get ready for it, you just warm up like you do a concert. You sing it about five or six times. Then, you get in there and do it.”
Reba McEntire’s History with the National Anthem
During the interview, McEntire pointed out that she sang the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City for about a decade when she was younger. However, that’s only half of the story.
Country and Western singer Red Steagall heard McEntire singing the National Anthem at the rodeo in 1974. After hearing her voice, he knew he was watching a star in the making. As a result, he connected with the young singer and helped her secure her first recording contract in Nashville.
In short, McEntire has a long list of timeless hits. However, it was the “The Star Spangled Banner” that started her career much like it starts sporting events across the nation.
Featured Image by Terry Wyatt/WireImage
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