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A Super Anthem Moment

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 15, 2009

Debate friends at your Super Bowl party with some anthem singer trivia:

The First: Anita Bryant was the first to sing it at Super Bowl III in 1969. College marching bands performed it at the first two championship games. The game in Miami between the Colts and Jets was the first to be officially called a "Super Bowl." The former beauty queen was a spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus Commission, and later became an outspoken opponent of gay rights.

Most Obscure: Noncelebrity Phyllis Kelly, a student at Northeast Louisiana State University, sang the anthem at Super Bowl XII.

Most Bizarre: Actress Leslie Easterbrook had trained for the opera before singing at Super Bowl XVII. She appeared in dozens of TV shows but was best known as the busty bombshell Lt. Callahan in the "Police Academy" movies.

Double Dippers: Two singers have done it twice: Billy Joel at Super Bowls XXIII and XLI and Aaron Neville at Super Bowls XXIV and XL (the latter with Aretha Franklin and Dr. John).

Cold Shoulders: The Air Force Academy Chorale faced the most miserable conditions before Super Bowl VI (1972) at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. At 39 degrees at game time, it was the coldest Super Bowl ever.

Most Ironic: The Dixie Chicks sang it for Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003, the same year that the group suffered a backlash for speaking out against war and President Bush just before American forces invaded Iraq. Their critics called them un-American. The controversy hurt their concert tour.

Just Beautiful: "The Star Spangled Banner" was skipped at Super Bowl XI when Vikki Carr sang "America the Beautiful" instead.

The Worst: It's debatable, because so many were less than memorable. But none was horrible, unless you don't care for the The Backstreet Boys' freestyle version in 1991. Thankfully, none rivaled Roseanne Barr's screeching, off-key version at a Padres baseball game in 1990.

Walt Belcher

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