From The Vault is back this week with yet another stellar Super Bowl moment.
Today, we journey back 30 years to the day Whitney Houston belted ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at the 1991 game and unleashed what would become for many singers the blueprint for how the US National Anthem should be tackled.
With the US and Iraq at war for the months preceding the festivities, the prospect of hearing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ resonate through a packed stadium was always going to be emotional for many an American. And Houston more than delivered on that note with a heartfelt, intense, and vibrant rendition of the famed anthem.
In just over two minutes, she managed to inspire optimism and togetherness thanks to her inimitable vocal prowess, striking stage presence, and that luminous smile.
Often imitated yet never duplicated, her version of this song is considered the absolute gold standard, with almost every vocalist since building their incarnation of the track around hers… to varying results.
Few will remember that the Buffalo Bills were up against the New York Giants on that fateful day. Yet, three decades on, the whole world is still raving about this game-changing performance. As such, we’d be inclined to say that the true winner was Whitney.
Happy Super Bowl Sunday!