Hudson Earns Rave Reviews For Rendition Of National Anthem
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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).
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