Hudson Earns Rave Reviews For Rendition Of National Anthem

Writers Hail Hudson's National Anthem As One Of Super Bowl's Best Renditions

Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson sang "The Star Spangled Banner" prior to the start of Super Bowl XLIII last night, and she delivered a "crisp, forceful rendering worthy of goose bumps," according to Malcolm Venable of the Norfolk VIRGINIAN-PILOT. Hudson's version of the national anthem will "go down as the best since Whitney Houston's in 1991" (Norfolk VIRGINIAN-PIOLT, 2/2). In St. Petersburg, Sean Daly wrote, "I'm not sure if it was better than Whitney Houston's version from 1991's Big Game, but wow ... just wow" (TAMPABAY.com, 2/1). In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes the game "had two of the toughest-ever acts to follow -- last year's Super Bowl" and Hudson's anthem. Mushnick: "What comes after awesome?" (N.Y. POST, 2/2). In S.F., Scott Ostler writes Hudson "sings the national anthem and Francis Scott Key rises from his grave and yells, 'That's what I'm talkin' about!'" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/2). In Detroit, Susan Whitall writes Hudson made the anthem "work with a supercharged high note at the end of 'land of the free' that gave genuine chills" (DETROIT NEWS, 2/2). In Orlando, Jerry Greene writes the pregame ceremony "was excellent," as singer Faith Hill "did a short and charming 'America the Beautiful.'" But "best of show" was Hudson, who performed a "powerful but not overly theatrical national anthem that would be in the conversation for best ever at a Super Bowl" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/2). In Austin, Kirk Bohls writes Hudson's rendition was "excellent, classy and melodious." Bohls: "Nice job by Faith Hill on 'America the Beautiful' as well" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 2/2).

MORE THAN JUST MUSIC: In DC, Scott Galupo writes pregame entertainment "came in briefer, but no less potent, parcels" than NBC's pregame show. A tribute to the pilots and crew of US Airways flight 1529, which successfully landed in the Hudson River on January 15, was "a worthy tribute to a group of unlikely, ordinary heroes" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 2/2).