ABC/Image Group LA On Sunday, Luke Bryan has the coveted — and much-scrutinized — privilege of singing “The Star Spangled Banner” before the Super Bowl.
He confesses he initially didn’t realize he’s the first man to sing the national anthem in a decade, since Billy Joel delivered his version in 2007.
“Through this process, I’ve kinda gone back through the years and watched how people approached the anthem,” Luke says, “and just tried to figure out in my mind how I wanted to approach it.”
Of course, last year’s anthem performer, Lady Gaga, takes center stage during this year’s halftime show.
“You know, I think she did an amazing job last year,” Luke says of her rendition. “You know… she put her stamp on it, which was amazing. It’s a big moment for me and I’m excited to get out there and hopefully put my stamp on it,” he adds.
You might think the Georgia native was hand-picked to sing at this year’s Super Bowl, due to his proximity to the Atlanta Falcons, but Luke says that’s not so.
“The irony in this is I agreed to do the anthem well before the Falcons got on their post-season roll,” he reveals. “I’m like, ‘Come on, Falcons, you can do this!’ So I’m cheering for two reasons, because I can have the opportunity to do the anthem… and… my dad’s one of the biggest Falcons fans that I’ve ever met.”
You can check out Luke’s contribution to Super Bowl LI Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox.
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