When people think about the Super Bowl, the first things that come to mind are surely football, snacks, and commercials. While the halftime show is likely up there as well, the NFL brings in more superstar musical artists than just the halftime performers. Which celebrity will be gracing the screen this weekend to belt out “America the Beautiful” before kickoff?
Who Is Singing ‘America the Beautiful’ for Super Bowl 57?
Twelve-time Grammy Award winner Kenneth Brian Edmonds, more widely known by his stage name, Babyface, will be singing “America the Beautiful” during pregame festivities at the Super Bowl this year. The 63-year-old is a star of the R&B genre, having written and produced over 25 No. 1 hits.
Though Edmonds has been a successful musician in his own right, his work writing and producing for other artists has been substantial. In 1989, he co-founded LaFace Records, which struck major early wins by signing the likes of Usher and Toni Braxton.
He’s written and produced songs for a litany of all-time greats, including Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Diana Ross, Eric Clapton, Mariah Carey, Lil Wayne, Phil Collins, and Super Bowl 47 halftime headliner Beyoncé.
Younger fans may know Edmonds best for some of his contemporary work. He produced the majority of the songs for Ariana Grande’s debut album Yours Truly and collaborated with Lil Wayne on his 2008 album Tha Carter III.
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For his work as a producer, Edmonds received the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year three consecutive times from 1996 to 1998.
Edmonds has also worked in television and movies. He appeared in one episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, helped produce the soundtrack for the critically acclaimed Prince of Egypt, and helped compose “The Power of the Dream,” the official song of the 1996 Summer Olympics.
For his accomplishments and legacy in the music industry, New Musical Express (NME) placed him at No. 20 on its “50 Greatest Producers Ever” list in 2012.
Edmonds received the 2,508th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was given an honorary doctorate degree for Indiana University Bloomington in recognition of his standout musical achievements.
Who Wrote ‘America the Beautiful’?
“America the Beautiful” was originally written as a patriotic poem titled “Pikes Peak” by Katharine Lee Bates in 1895. The current music accompanying the lyrics was written more than a decade earlier by Samuel Ward in 1883.
Bates’ lyrics and Ward’s accompaniment were combined and first published together in 1910. The song is now widely known throughout the country as one of the most highly regarded patriotic pieces.
“America the Beautiful” has been covered by a large array of popular artists, including Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Jennifer Lopez.