/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/PFHVQZ62PFCNBE4SXP5V4OKLVU.jpg "Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan performs the national anthem before the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)")
No pressure, but Sunday’s Super Bowl marked the 30th anniversary of Whitney Houston’s iconic rendition of the National Anthem. And, it happened in Tampa.
How could anyone forget? Houston sang the Star-Spangled Banner for Super Bowl 25 at then-Tampa Stadium, backed by the Florida Orchestra. Houston’s rendition was not only triumphant, breathtaking, free and brave, it reframed the song as one that exists for Black Americans, too.
In this era of rawness and racial reckoning, the oft-troubled NFL brought together two artists from disparate backgrounds as a showcase of solidarity. Jazmine Sullivan, a Black R&B star, and Eric Church, a white country star, teamed up for the first-ever Super Bowl duet of the song. Before the show, both admitted they didn’t know much about the other.
“We definitely come from two totally different, um, everything,” Sullivan told Entertainment Tonight. “But, I’m excited. I think it will be cool to blend the different sounds of music and just show some unity.”
After the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, Church told the Los Angeles Times, “It feels like an important time for a patriotic moment. An important time for unity. The fact that I’m a Caucasian country singer and she’s an African-American R&B singer — I think the country needs that.”
The Houston moment wasn’t lost on Sullivan, who appeared to rehearse in a similar white track suit to the iconic one Houston wore in 1991.
First up at Raymond James Stadium was award-winning singer and songwriter H.E.R., delivering a rendition of America the Beautiful that started sweet and introspective and roared to a finish, showcasing dazzling skills on electric guitar. Rapper Warren “Wawa” Snipe performed alongside H.E.R., Sullivan and Church in American Sign Language.
Then Sullivan and Church stood side-by-side, kicking off a swinging, bluesy arrangement of the anthem, Church clad in nonpartisan purple, Sullivan in all white. They harmonized, fireworks blasting off behind them. Church held the song steady, but he seemed to know it wasn’t his show. It was Sullivan’s voice that soared above it all, climbing the scales victoriously to the apex of those vital words. Free. Brave.
Was it Whitney? No, nothing will ever be. But in this moment, it was a good thing, and something we might talk about in another 30 years.
• • •
Tampa Bay Times Super Bowl 55 coverage
ON TOM BRADY: How the QB’s devotion to detail led the Bucs to Super Bowl 55
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/MM5ST76AWFAT3CHHZIYIWENSUM.JPG "Planning your weekend?")
Planning your weekend?
Subscribe to our free Top 5 things to do newsletter
You’re all signed up!
Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.
Explore all your optionsTUNE IN EARLY: If you want to see Super Bowl 55’s hero, watch the pregame ceremony
SUPER BOWL IN A PANDEMIC: How Tampa Bay is handling Super Bowl and coronavirus
WHO’S GOING?: Meet the fans who spend $20,000 on Super Bowl tickets
MORE BUCS PHOTOS: Follow the Tampa Bay Times Bucs coverage on Instagram
BUCS NEWSLETTER: Sign up for the Bucs RedZone newsletter with team reporter Joey Knight:
We’re working hard to bring you the latest Super Bowl news from around the Tampa Bay area. This effort takes resources to gather and update. If you haven’t already subscribed, please consider buying a digital or print subscription.
/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/tbt/b6210e41-1306-44e5-87c6-4ae64eb40979.png "Stephanie Hayes - Columnist")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/dGu_K7fLpHs9afnB1VJeWgXI4DA=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/T6ESC3GLGZCERER7AL2YPDVLS4.JPG "NAACP issues travel advisory for ‘openly hostile’ Florida")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/e7UOL73dougU67STm8m25qYIONk=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/3FQU5OU66JUWCVR7FYI5XSONNM.jpg "US has approved $42 billion in loan forgiveness for public service workers. Here’s who qualifies")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/KYtjZaWsk6cNOTvovA6o9ICYCEw=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/ZVZEQSKTIJCFXHRBTZRM4SJFYM.JPG "How Rays’ Randy Arozarena feels about Willy Adames copying his pose")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/GHPOqfxiqfPPUOjn1b5G9fRdPM8=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/FWKGODD5O5EMLPMS637KOBUAJI.JPG "Now hitting for the Rays ... can sometimes be a feisty announcement")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/ci87Y3RdjfyZ6Ya6sPlqoimo5AU=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/FZ2DYL4755B6LCFILFAE6G2YLI.JPG "It’s not just the people, it’s too many cars in Tampa Bay | Letters")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/o8nMiTfWjGEU_azVEom9J6cpyvE=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/23AP2M4NZFFB5EHQALUWTXHQDA.jpg "Wimauma teen who survived fatal crash gets device to help her walk")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/cSZJmSsBefr6fSgtUdkvVIPp24A=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/QH6MYYXWENFFTLE4OHR2O4XHUA.JPG "Sunlake High hires veteran Jay Fulmer as head football coach")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/zL3N22pe1B-SnnWV45oO370YnmA=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/RH4QDN2R5ZECDMC4TJZNM6XF5U.jpg "Rays’ Jose Siri makes spectacular catches, sometimes with just one hand")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/zEhu3pn9s0CGeZIt5Hjsp-HgBHg=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/BAJ3TJ6FWFHZBHQKDRCG2Z3LEA.jpg "Editorial Cartoons for Monday from Times Wire Services")
/www.tampabay.com/resizer/bdbqtwzorM8pVJsxuGrcBSWnSLI=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/JKLGYEV3IZACTFS6CDLY4IC2J4.jpg "Can Florida State football win it all thanks to the transfer portal?")