Carrie Underwood will sing the National Anthem and Queen Latifah will sing "America the Beautiful" as part of Super Bowl XLIV pregame festivities at Sun Life Stadium in South Florida on Sunday, Feb. 7, the NFL and CBS announced Thursday. The performance will be televised live on CBS Sports prior to kickoff.
More than 151 million viewers in the U.S. watched last year's Super Bowl, the most-watched television program in history. The pregame show and Super Bowl XLIV will be broadcast worldwide in more than 230 countries and territories.
Underwood is among many great performers who have been honored with singing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl including: 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, Jennifer Hudson and many more.
A four-time Grammy Award winner, a member of the Grand Ole Opry, the 2009 Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, and three-time CMA and ACM Female Vocalist winner, Underwood has amassed more than 11 million in U.S. album sales since her debut CD in 2005, more than any other American Idol winner. Along the way, she has consistently broken new ground and became the first country artist in history to achieve 11 consecutive No. 1 singles. Underwood's North American 2010 headline tour, "Play On Tour," will launch in March.
A musician, actress, a label president, an author and entrepreneur, Queen Latifah is a Grammy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning artist as well as an Emmy and Academy Award nominee.
Queen Latifah joins Vicki Carr (Super Bowl XI), Ray Charles (Super Bowl XXXV), Mary J. Blige and Marc Anthony (Super Bowl XXXVI), Alicia Keys (Super Bowl XXXIX) and Faith Hill (Super Bowl XLIII) as the only artists to perform the song at the Super Bowl.
The NFL previously announced that The Who will perform in the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show.
The pregame and halftime shows are an NFL Network Production and will be executive produced by Ricky Kirshner.
