LAS VEGAS — Reba McEntire, one of the most accomplished country musicians of all time, delivered a beautiful rendition of the national anthem at Super Bowl LVIII.
The Queen of Country has been singing the “Star-Spangled Banner” for 50 years, dating back to the National Finals Rodeo five decades again and including an anthem at the World Series, but the Super Bowl was her biggest stage yet. Showing off her signature sense of style, Reba arrived at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas a fabulous fur coat. For the anthem, she donned a sparkling blazer.
With country twang, backed by a recorded track of a country band with a horn section, Reba brought tears to the eyes of players, coaches and fans, hitting the final powerful note as a military flyover flew overhead. Flag-bearing service members stood behind her, a huge U.S. flag covered most of the field, and military jets flew over Allegiant Stadium as she sang.
She got through the song in about 1 minute 40 seconds. That’s a good 10 seconds longer than the over-under from oddsmakers, but still the quickest version of the anthem at the Super Bowl since Kelly Clarkson sang it 12 years ago.
Who is Reba McEntire?
The Country Music Hall of Famer has dozens of career award wins, including three Grammys and more than a dozen ACM Awards. She's been a star in song, stage and screen with a career dating back to the 1970s, with hit songs like “Can’t Even Get the Blues,” "Whoever's in New England" and “Does He Love You." She has sold more than 75 million records worldwide.
Reba made her Broadway debut in 2001 as Annie Oakley in "Annie Get Your Gun." Her sitcom television show "Reba" ran for six seasons and was nominated for a Golden Globe, and she's been a coach on NBC's "The Voice" since 2023.
Who sang 'America the Beautiful' and 'Lift Every Voice and Sing'?
Grammy-nominated rapper Post Malone is singing "America the Beautiful" at the Super Bowl, while Grammy-winning musician Andra Day performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing," sometimes called the Black national anthem.
Who is performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show?
R&B icon Usher will headline the Apple Music Halftime Show this year, performing for more than 100 million viewers during one of the most-watched television events of the year.
Usher will be performing in celebration of the 30th anniversary of his debut, self-titled album in 1994. "Usher" put the singer on the charts with hits like "You Make Me Wanna..." and "Pop Ya Collar."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.