When Jazmine Sullivan took the field at Super Bowl LV to sing “The Star Spangled Banner,” she sent Whitney Houston fans soaring with a special tribute to the late singer 30 years after her rendition went soaring up the Billboard charts.
At Super Bowl XXV in Tampa back in 1991, Houston wore a track suit and performed the National Anthem in front of a live orchestra. Houston, then 27, was still finding new heights in her career, as her latest album “I’m Your Baby Tonight” was in the midst of a chart run that saw it peak at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and stay in the Billboard Top 10 R&B Album charts for a year on its way to a 4x platinum certification.
While a prerecorded version of the song was used for the Super Bowl broadcast, it became known as one of Houston’s greatest performances ever, inspiring future stars like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga and climbing to No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Three decades later, Sullivan paid tribute during rehearsal by wearing a track suit similar to the one Houston wore, and fans on Twitter took notice.
Sullivan performed the National Anthem alongside country star Eric Church, wearing a headdress similar to the one Houston wore in the film “The Bodyguard.”
Jazmine Sullivan rehearsing — and paying homage to Whitney Houston with the white tracksuit https://t.co/yOW2SbMzox pic.twitter.com/9CapPIywI6
— Justin Tinsley (@JustinTinsley) February 7, 2021
.@jsullivanmusic honoring Whitney Houston's iconic Super Bowl national anthem by wearing Houston's jumpsuit while preparing for her own performance. pic.twitter.com/pJ3Jq3vvGU
— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) February 7, 2021
Ok @jsullivanmusic giving us Whitney Houston vibes from “The Bodyguard” at the @SuperBowl Saaaanngggggggg!!!! pic.twitter.com/XFufg8G86B
— Jay Terry (@jayterry) February 7, 2021
Top National Anthem Performances:
1. Whitney Houston
2. Marvin Gaye
3. Jennifer Hudson
4. Beyoncé
5. Jazmine Sullivan’s half— Dr. Marcus Shepard (@MarcusShepard) February 7, 2021
https://twitter.com/justinkirkland4/status/1358561248661618692