Country Music Memories: Luke Bryan Sings Super Bowl Anthem

Luke Bryan stepped up to deliver a soaring rendition of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl in 2017, proving that he was equal to a very daunting vocal challenge.

The country superstar took the field at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, to help kick off a game between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons. Dressed in a simple shirt, jeans and a dark jacket, Bryan delivered a pretty straight a cappella rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" until the end, when he threw in some vocal flourishes as Air Force Thunderbirds did a fly-by over the stadium. His performance earned huge applause from the fans in the stands at the event.

Bryan had previously given a poorly received performance of the anthem at the MLB All-Star Game in 2012. That performance caused a giant controversy online when fans criticized the singer for reading the lyrics to the anthem off his hand while he sang.

Nonetheless, Bryan didn't hesitate for a second when the NFL asked him to sing at Super Bowl LI, despite the fact that the pressure-cooker gig draws enormous scrutiny.

"I said, ‘Hell yes, I’ll do it!’" Bryan told People. “Is the anthem challenging? Yes. Is it nerve-wracking? Yes. But I moved to Nashville to follow my dreams and singing the national anthem on that stage doesn’t get any bigger.”

Bryan is part of a short list of country stars who have performed at the Super Bowl over the years. That list will get a little bit bigger on Sunday (Feb. 7), when Eric Church joins Jazmine Sullivan to perform a joint rendition of the National Anthem before Super Bowl LV.