![]() Her defenders included one fan, who tweeted, "How are people canceling Gladys Knight for performing at the Super Bowl this year but they still plan on WATCHING the Super Bowl this year? How does that work."Īnother Knight fan posted: "Now the NFL/Super Bowl got it right with Gladys Knight singing the National Anthem. I pray that this national anthem will bring us all together in a way never before witnessed and we can move forward and untangle these truths which mean so much to all of us." "No matter who chooses to deflect with this narrative and continue to mix these two in the same message, it is not so and cannot be made so by anyone speaking it. "I am here today and on Sunday, (February 3), 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 – I have been in the forefront of this battle longer than most of those voicing their opinions to win the right to sing our country's anthem on a stage as large as the Super Bowl LIII."įurthermore, she added, deferring to perhaps a teachable moment for those with knee-jerk reactions to the announcement: ![]() Rather than taking the fray bait, Knight appeared took the high road in response to her detractors. "It is unfortunate that our national anthem has been dragged into this debate when the distinctive senses of the national anthem and fighting for justice should each stand alone." Kaepernick is protesting two things, and they are police violence and injustice," she wrote. She defended her stance in a statement to Variety, also reported on Thursday: Knight, 74, who led the chart-topping soul group Gladys Knight & the Pips from 1961 to 1989, didn't back down to the criticism. Gladys Knight has just been added to the long list of other muted artists."īy "muted artists," may have meant other musical artists who have taken plenty of heat in recent weeks for agreeing to play the Super Bowl halftime show, one of the highest rated television events of the year. One fan, posting with a handle, tweeted Friday that "Kaepernick lost his NFL career fighting for black social justice, where is the solidarity? So if this is true Ms. Traditionally, high-powered superstars secure the honor of singing "The Star-Spangled Banner." Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Lada Gaga and Neil Diamond did so in years past. The NFL announced Thursday that Knight is scheduled to sing the national anthem before in pre-kickoff festivities at the 53rd Super Bowl, on February 3 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, her hometown.įor her part, Knight tweeted joyfully a day earlier than the fan post: "Atlanta, I'm coming home!" CNN reported the dustup. More adventurous was Atlanta sister duo Chloe x Halle, who offered up their version of “America the Beautiful” before Knight’s anthem performance.Asking "Where is the solidarity?," one fan of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick-turned-civil rights influencer blasted legendary singer Gladys Knight for planning to sing the national anthem before the 2019 Super Bowl. ![]() ![]() Still, Knight was sturdy and strong, and didn’t hijack the spotlight by making it about herself. Her words didn’t always line up with her gesturing, especially near the end, leading some online to speculate the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was lip syncing. Knight’s anthem ran just past the two-minute mark. Cameras panned around the field, catching shots of various players on the sidelines, as well as a satellite shot of American soldiers stationed in South Korea. Knight, in a knee-length white gown accented with jewels and a silver headpiece in her hair, was fairly straightforward in her version, adding a few vocal runs to the closing notes but otherwise sticking to the script. The 74-year-old Motown legend and Empress of Soul sang a hearty rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” as a Joint Service Color Guard from the Military District of Washington stood behind her with an American flag and flags representing each of the five military services. Before the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams kicked off Super Bowl LIII, Gladys Knight took the field to honor America with the national anthem. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |