Reba McEntire Makes Super Bowl Crowd & Players Cry With Moving Rendition Of ‘Star-Spangled Banner’

Feb 12, 2024

Reba McEntire is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known as the “Queen of Country Music” and has sold over 75 million records around the world. With more than 100 singles making it on the Billboard Country Charts, McEntire has solidified herself as a household name. 

She first started recording songs in the late 1970s but hit her stride in the early 1980s. From 2001 to 2007, the singer starred in her own sitcom called “Reba,” and launched herself to even higher success. 

The singer’s first number-one song was “Can’t Even Get the Blues” in 1982. Then, in 1984, McEntire signed with MCA Records, and her second studio album, “My Kind of Country,” became her breakthrough release. 

Her best-selling album came after losing eight of her band members in a plane crash in 1991. The album is called “For My Broken Heart,” and it garnered critical acclaim. One of her signature songs came from her 1990 release “Rumor Has It.” The song was actually a cover called “Fancy,” and it is possibly her most popular song.

In her personal life, McEntire has been married twice. Her first marriage was from 1976 to 1987 to a rancher named Charlie Battles. They lived together on a ranch in Oklahoma, where McEntire is from. 

After ending the marriage, the singer moved to Nashville to further her career in music. In 1989, McEntire married her manager Narvel Blackstock. She became a stepmother to his three children, and together, they only had one son, Shelby Blackstock. 

Many consider McEntire a legend because of her contributions to the country music industry, but she proved she could transcend the genre when she brought the crowd to tears with her moving rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the 2024 Super Bowl in February 2024. 

Over the years, there have been several renditions of America’s national anthem sung at one of America’s biggest sporting events on the annual calendar. Some people choose to stay as authentic as possible when performing the song, keeping to a more relaxed yet emotional tone. Others choose to highlight the power behind their voice and take the song to a completely new level. And other entertainers choose to find somewhere balanced in the middle – making for a spectacular performance.

For the fourth year in a row, a country music star opened the annual edition of the Super Bowl with their rendition of the national anthem. Prior to Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton sang it in 2023, Mickey Guyton in 2022, and Eric Church as a duet with Jazmine Sullivan in 2021. While expectations were certainly high for McEntire as she took center stage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 11, 2024, the country music icon could not have been more prepared, with 50 years of experience belting out the anthem over the years. Some could even say she was “discovered” at just 19 years old when she sang the anthem at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in her home state of Oklahoma.

Despite all her experience, however, McEntire was determined to put on a performance to remember. In a press conference prior to the game, she told the media her plan of action was to “prepare by being prepared.”

“I get to sing a very special song for all American people around the world who have really worked so hard for our freedom and to give us peace… It’s not about me. I’m a representation of this song, and I’m just honored to get to sing it. It’s a good one. I’ve been doing it for 50 years and I’m really proud to get to sing it,” she added.

Finally, the time came for McEntire’s performance. A large American flag was unfurled across the field while the noise of the crowd simmered down to a silence as spectators and players alike stood up for the big moment. McEntire then belted out the opening notes of the anthem, which reverberated around the stadium with an unmatched force. 

The camera then panned from the enthralling McEntire to many of the players waiting on the sidelines of the field for the kick off. Many closed their eyes or held their heads down as they took in McEntire’s powerful notes, while others found it more difficult to hide their emotions. Among the latter was the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive tackle Chris Jones. As McEntire hit note after note with controlled vigor and intensity, tears began streaming from Jones’ eyes, a testament to the weight of the country singer’s abilities and the anthem’s enduring power. 

Jones was not the only one moved by McEntire, with many fans taking to social media to express their awe at her faultless execution and delivery.

“Reba absolutely crushed it 🔥,” one user declared, while another remarked, “Now THAT’S how you show patriotism! Thank you Reba!”

“That’s how you represent all Americans’ way to go @reba. You did it justice with such real beauty. You made some vets very emotional in my home with your flawless proformace (sic),” a third user stated, as another commented, “OMG What a beautiful, overpowering rendition of The Star Spangled Banner! Reba crushed it! I saw some of the players in tears from the emotional effect! I was also in tears!”

How moving was Reba McEntire’s performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the 2024 Super Bowl? Whose rendition of the national anthem during the Super Bowl is your favorite? Let us know, then pass this along to friends and family to find out who theirs are, too!