Sheryl Lee Ralph just reminded football fans that she is a dreamgirl in every sense of the word! Just minutes before the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles faced off at Super Bowl LVII [1] on Feb. 12, the 66-year-old "Abbott Elementary" star delivered a stunning performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," often referred to as the Black national anthem [2], during the game's opening ceremony.
Shining in all red, Ralph was joined by a powerful choir, all wearing head-to-toe white. Ralph's performance was followed by Chris Stapleton, who sang the national anthem, and Babyface, who delivered a beautiful rendition of "America the Beautiful."
.@thesherylralph [3] with an incredible rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing". #SBLVII [4] pic.twitter.com/3iho2kTssr [5]
— NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2023 [6]
Ralph previously recalled the moment she was asked to perform in an interview with "Entertainment Tonight," [7] saying she had "a moment of like, 'What me? They want me to sing at the Super Bowl — a song that has never been a part of the opening ceremonies? Me? Yes!'"
She continued: "I've been saying through the whole award season, 'It's about the nomination,' and for me, this is a nomination. So to be there with those great singers, artists, performers, I'm going to accept what it says about me because they would not have chosen me if they did not feel I couldn't deliver. And I'm ready to deliver!"
Given that "Abbott Elementary" is based in Philadelphia, it's no surprise Ralph is rooting for the Eagles. "Philly is truly representing! Philly is on a wonderful high with 'Abbott Elementary' being based in Philly," Ralph noted. "They see this as the wonderful last chapter of a new book that's gonna be written or maybe it's the first chapter [as] we go into the third season [8] of 'Abbott Elementary.'"
Keep reading for more photos of Ralph performing in Arizona on Sunday.
