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“Empress of Soul” and Latter-day Saint singer Gladys Knight kicked off Sunday’s Super Bowl LIII with a heartfelt and stirring rendition of the National Anthem. According to the Huffington Post, she “brought down the house–well, stadium” when she stepped out in her elegant white with accessories nearly as bright and sparkling as her smile.
Though her initial decision to accept the invitation to sing was met with some controversy, her response to the backlash was thoughtful and grounded. She said,
I am here today…to give the anthem back its voice, to stand for that historic choice of words, the way it unites us when we hear it and to free it from the same prejudices and struggles I have fought long and hard for all my life, from walking back hallways, from marching with our social leaders, from using my voice for good.
The performance itself, however, seemed to be met with nothing but praise with Entertainment Today calling it “flawless” and many employing the hashtag “GOAT” or “greatest of all time”.
See the video of the performance below:
Daniel BakerFebruary 7, 2019
Yes, powerful! Thank you Sister Knight.
Harold RustFebruary 6, 2019
If we all could follow the example that Gladys Knight showed, this entire country would be enabling the good in each person and encouraging a positive attitude. She really lead the way with what she said and then with the way she sang. I'm impressed!