Luke Bryan joined the ranks of Super Bowl national anthem performers with his rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Sunday.
In a black jacket, his hand on his heart, the country star delivered a respectful performance of the challenging song–and this time, he didn’t need notes.
It wasn’t the country star’s first try at a big-league national anthem. In 2012, he performed the song at Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, drawing critique for checking his watch and checking notes he’d written on his hand.
“That stage and being in that moment was certainly one of the biggest moments of my life,” he told ABC in 2012. “Going out there for that moment, it just meant so much for me, to have a few notes to just make sure… that it was done right.”
But that didn’t stop him from taking the chance to sing it for a Super Bowl-sized audience.
“I said, ‘Hell yes, I’ll do it!” he told People in January.
Bryan, a native Georgian, has some skin in the game: he’s called himself a “huge” Atlanta Falcons fan, and will be relieved to root for his team after he performs.
“I’ll be focused on the anthem, and once I walk off that field and shake off that pressure, I’ll be ready to enjoy some football,” he said.
At the game itself, he was just happy to be on the field.
“Grateful to be here with everyone,” he tweeted minutes before his performance.
Grateful to be here with everyone. #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/GSUSOiLaXo
— Luke Bryan (@LukeBryanOnline) February 5, 2017
— David Greenwald
dgreenwald@oregonian.com
503-294-7625; @davidegreenwald
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