Super Bowl: Idina Menzel ‘Humbled’ to Sing ‘Star-Spangled Banner’
Singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to kickoff at the Super Bowl has been an honor bestowed on world-class vocalists like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé and most recently opera singer Renee Fleming, and now you can add Broadway stalwart Idina Menzel to the list. The NFL revealed that the “Let It Go” singer will perform the National Anthem prior to Super Bowl XLIX at Glendale, Arizona’s University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1st, while John Legend will also be on hand to sing “America the Beautiful.”
Following the announcement, Menzel tweeted, “It was 1991 and I remember it well: Whitney sings the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Almost as glorious as her voice was her huge radiant smile. I am so humbled and honored to be asked this year.” Legend hasn’t commented yet, but his wife Chrissy Teigen retweeted NFL.com reporter Jeff Darlington’s tweet that read, “And the very smooth John Legend of @ChrissyTeigen fame will be singing America the Beautiful at Super Bowl. Almost to the two-week countdown!”
Menzel and Legend join halftime performer Katy Perry and her special guest Lenny Kravitz, as the artists representing the music world at this year’s Super Bowl. It’s been a whirlwind 12 months for Menzel: Nearly a year ago, she was left red-faced in front of millions watching the Academy Awards after John Travolta mistakenly called her “Adele Dazeem,” an incident that became a popular punchline. Fast forward to February 2015 and Menzel is performing in front of an even larger Super Bowl Sunday crowd.