Country singer Luke Bryan will perform the national anthem at Super Bowl LI as part of pre-game proceedings, the NFL and Fox announced today. The performance will air live on Fox just before kickoff. Accompanying Bryan will be actor Kriston Lee Pumphrey on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf, who will perform the anthem and “America The Beautiful” in sign language.
A two-time Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, Bryan has hosted the ACM Awards for four consecutive years. Since his 2007 debut album, he’s had 17 number one singles with nearly eight million albums sold. His fifth studio album, Kill The Lights, has sold 3.5 million tracks and received over 400 million streams.
Previous entertainers who have sung the national anthem include Lady Gaga, Idina Menzel, Renée Fleming, Alicia Keys, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond, Whitney Houston, Harry Connick, Jr., Garth Brooks, Natalie Cole, Vanessa Williams, Luther Vandross, Cher, Faith Hill, Mariah Carey, Dixie Chicks, Beyoncé Knowles, Christina Aguilera and more.
Lady Gaga will headline the Super Bowl LI halftime show.
