Luke Bryan to sing national anthem at Super Bowl
Country star Luke Bryan is "excited" to perform "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl LI. The singer tweeted his reaction and a video after the NFL's announcement on Sunday, Jan. 23, 2017. Credit: Getty Images for CMT / Mike Coppola
Country music superstar Luke Bryan will perform the national anthem Feb. 5 at Super Bowl LI.
The NFL announced Sunday that Bryan, 40, a two-time Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, will succeed last year’s golden-anniversary performer, Lady Gaga.
“Excited to perform the National Anthem on NFL’s biggest stage #SB51,” Bryan tweeted Sunday. “See y’all in Houston.” Accompanying this was a short video in which he reiterated his enthusiasm about the performance and added that the game would air on Fox. This year’s pro football championship game will take place at Houston’s NRG Stadium.
Bryan, whose 17 No. 1 hits have included such songs as “I Don’t Want This Night to End” and “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” has sold more than seven million albums.
He performed at the 2016 Grammy Awards as part of a tribute to Lionel Richie.
Past performers who have sung “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl include Long Island’s Billy Joel in 1989 and 2007, both times in Miami, and Idina Menzel in Glendale, Arizona, in 2015.
