Sullivan, Church set for Super Bowl
R&B star Jazmine Sullivan and country singer Eric Church will join forces to sing the national anthem at next month’s Super Bowl, where Grammy-winning singer H.E.R. will perform “America the Beautiful.”
The performances will take place Feb. 7 in Tampa before the big game and halftime show starring The Weeknd. It will air on CBS.
Deaf rapper and recording artist Warren “WAWA” Snipe will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” in American Sign Language. Emmy-nominated musical director Adam Blackstone will arrange and produce Church and Sullivan’s rendition of the national anthem.
Sullivan rose to the top of the R&B charts in 2008 with her debut single and album. She has earned 12 Grammy nominations and written songs for Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson and Monica.
Church, a 10-time Grammy nominee, released his debut album in 2006 and has topped the country charts with songs like “Drink in My Hand,” “Springsteen,” “Talladega” and “Record Year.”
H.E.R. won two Grammys in 2019 and has earned critical acclaim for her live performances. She has launched R&B hits such as “Focus,” “Best Part,” “Slide,” “Damage” and “B.S.” with Jhené Aiko.
Combs set for pre-race Daytona 500 concert:
NASCAR will attempt some normalcy at the season-opening Daytona 500 with a live pre-race concert — the first big performance at a track during the pandemic — featuring country music star Luke Combs.
Combs, who performed virtually for NASCAR’s season finale in November, has not done a live show since the pandemic began in March. NASCAR, which prides itself on its elaborate pre-race pomp and entertainment, has not had a major live performance since PitBull and Blake Shelton performed in the final race before sports were halted.
“I can’t wait to feel that energy again. Man, I miss it,” Combs wrote in an email. “It’s the first live show I’ve played since March of 2020, and I’d say it’s pretty dang huge.”
The NASCAR season opens Feb. 14 at Daytona International Speedway, where the Daytona 500 will conclude a week of racing.
Rising model Brant dies:
Harry Brant, 24, a rising model and son of supermodel Stephanie Seymour and publisher Peter M. Brant, has died.
The younger Brant died Sunday of an accidental overdose, his family said in a statement, saying “his life was cut short by this devastating disease.”
“He was a creative, loving and powerful soul that brought light into so many people’s hearts,” the statement said.
Brant had appeared in Italian Vogue and in campaigns for the fashion house Balmain. He had previously released a unisex makeup line with his brother — Peter Brant Jr. — for MAC cosmetics.
Jan. 20 birthdays:
Director David Lynch is 75. Guitarist Paul Stanley is 69. TV host Bill Maher is 65. Actor James Denton is 58. Actor Rainn Wilson is 55. Actor Stacey Dash is 54. Actor Reno Wilson is 52. Actor Skeet Ulrich is 51. Drummer Questlove is 50. Drummer Rob Bourdon is 42. Singer Bonnie McKee is 37. Actor Evan Peters is 34.