Why Chris Stapleton “Retired” From Performing The National Anthem After The 2023 Super Bowl
on Feb 10, 2025
Chris Stapleton Moves Super Bowl Attendees To Tears With Powerful National Anthem
In February 2023, Chris Stapleton had the honor of performing the National Anthem in front of the largest audience of any televised event annually. Before the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles faced off for Super Bowl LVII, Stapleton moved the crowd with his chilling rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The image of Eagles coach Nick Sirriani with tears streaming down his face painted a picture of how many Americans were feeling at that moment.
Fans were quick to praise Stapleton for his performance, some even calling it the best Super Bowl National Anthem of all time.
Relive Chris Stapleton’s performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” below!
Stapleton Says He Has “Officially Retired” From Performing The National Anthem Again
On a recent episode of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media podcast, Chris Stapleton reflected on his iconic performance and admitted that it would be his last time performing the song.
It is understandable why a highly sought-after artist would have to be selective with the gigs they take. The “Tennessee Whiskey” singer recalls that when he was asked to play the National Anthem for various occasions throughout his career, he would turn it down and jokingly say:
“No, I’ll just do it when it’s time to do it at the Super Bowl.”
Now that he has had that opportunity, Stapleton says he has “officially retired” from performing the anthem. And while the 11-time Grammy Award winner says that he does not typically get nervous to play, he admits that this instance was “genuinely nerve-wracking.”
Stapleton says that his main goal for the performance was to “get through it without messing up.” The song is traditionally hard to sing even without the added pressure of such a high-profile setting. Afterward, he was able to breathe a sigh of relief and recognize:
“Okay, I executed the National Anthem without insulting the National Anthem.”
Though he put a significant effort into preparing for the live performance, Stapleton credits the other factors that made the moment so special. He says:
“I’m not saying my version wasn’t good – I think it was good – but all the tv editing that they did while I was doing it was just spot on. Everything that they did to make that moment feel as big and nice as it could, they did it. And they executed it flawlessly.”
Listen to Chris Stapleton reflect on the iconic performance in the video below!
