Seven-time Grammy Award-winner and “Empress of Soul” GLADYS KNIGHT will sing the National Anthem as part of Super Bowl LIII pregame festivities at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday, February 3, the NFL and CBS announced today. The performance will be televised live on CBS prior to kickoff.
Gladys Knight
“I am proud to use my voice to unite and represent our country in my hometown of Atlanta,” said GLADYS KNIGHT. “The NFL recently announced their new social justice platform Inspire Change, and I am honored to be a part of its inaugural year.”
Gladys Knight has enjoyed #1 hits in Pop, Gospel, R&B and Adult Contemporary, and has triumphed in film, television and live performance. Knight has recorded two number-one Billboard Hot 100 singles (“Midnight Train to Georgia” and “That’s What Friends Are For”), eleven number-one R&B singles, and six number-one R&B albums. She has won seven Grammy Awards and is an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with The Pips. Fall of 2015 marked the release of Knight’s first mainstream dance record, “Just A Little” in nearly twenty years. The song serves as lead single from her twelfth studio album that she is currently on. The year of 2011 was a year of much recognition as Knight was both honoring and being honored, first at a Michael Jackson tribute concert, and then at the 2011 Soul Train Awards.
Gladys Knight joins the ranks of many great performers who have sung the Super Bowl National Anthem including: Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Mariah Carey, Cher, Natalie Cole, Harry Connick, Jr., Neil Diamond, Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga, Faith Hill, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Wynton Marsalis, Idina Menzel, Aaron Neville, P!NK, Jordin Sparks, Diana Ross, Luther Vandross, Vanessa Williams, and many more. (A complete list of National Anthem performers from past Super Bowls is listed below.)
In addition, on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), performer and deaf activist AARRON LOGGINS will sign in American Sign Language both the National Anthem and “America The Beautiful”.
The pregame and halftime shows are an NFL NETWORK PRODUCTION and will be executive produced by RICKY KIRSHNER.
ABOUT GLADYS KNIGHT:
Gladys Knight’s career started when at 7 years old she came to prominence on Ted Mack’s The Original Amateur Hour TV show in 1952. Still performing over six decades in an ever-changing industry, she provides inspiration to those in and out of the arts both on and off the stage. Few have matched her unassailable artistry. The seven-time Grammy winner has had #1 hits in Pop, Gospel, R & B and Adult Contemporary while excelling in film, television and live performances. She has won the NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Gospel Album” and recorded over 38 albums over her career including four solo albums over the past decade. In addition to her musical endeavors and performing accomplishments, Gladys was honored in 2015 when a portion of Atlanta’s State Route 9 from Peachtree Street to 14th Street was named Gladys Knight Highway. In 2017, she and her husband, William McDowell, founded the Reynolds High School Community Foundation to benefit the renovation of the former high school into a community center for the Canton, NC community.
ABOUT AARRON LOGGINS:
Aarron Loggins is an accomplished dancer, performer, advocate, and actor. He is currently performing on series including The C-Word and Shock Nation, and can be seen in a short film, Warriors of the Red Ribbon. He was the Mister Deaf International of 2014 and was profiled on Fashion News Live. He has danced with performance groups as the Wild Zappers and Da Jump Back, and has performed with the National Theater of the Deaf. In addition, he has acted in several theater productions including Who’s Tommy, and Sense-Able. His talent includes creating visually compelling American Sign Language (ASL) performances of music.
SOURCE:
NFL Communications