The iconic country singer was originally discovered singing 'The Star Spangled Banner' in 1974.
Reba McEntire pulled off a stunning rendition of the national anthem on Sunday during Super Bowl LVIII, marking a full-circle moment for the singer.
Taking to the field wearing a custom Ralph Lauren Western-inspired blazer with over 175,800 transparent Swarovski crystals and black suede bootcut pants with hand-embroidered florals and fringe, the 68-year-old country singer and actress delivered her showstopping version of "The Star Spangled Banner," more than 50 years after she was discovered while singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City.
In a nod to inclusivity, Reba was joined onstage by National Association of the Deaf (NAD) representative actor Daniel Durant who delivered the American Sign Language version of the song. Durant is best known for his role in the 2022 Academy Award-winning movie CODA.
In total, Reba sang the song in just one minute and 40 seconds, marking the quickest version of the song since Kelly Clarkson's rendition in 2012. It also narrowly went over the running bet online that her version would fall under 90 seconds.
Within minutes, the song was heralded online by Super Bowl watchers as "iconic" and "beautiful," with millions weighing in on the heartfelt moment from the singer and actress.
"Could not be prouder
Such an incredible achievement and a beautiful full circle moment. 50 years later and still crushing it. We love you @Reba," one fan wrote.
Earlier in the day, the "I'm a Survivor" singer showed off her game day fit on social media platform X -- formerly known as Twitter -- as she sported blue suede knee-high cowboy boots, jeans and a puffy gray-ish blue jacket.
"Boots with the fur…" Reba wrote. "#SuperBowlLVIII ready!"
Days before the performance, Reba opened up about her process when it came to preparing for her performance, telling reporters that she was practicing nonstop in any and all places.
"I prepare by being prepared," she joked during the Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show press conference ahead of the big game. "I've been singing the national anthem in the shower, when we get in the car."
"Rex [Linn], my boyfriend, is a huge football fan, played all sports when he was going to school," The Voice coach continued. "And so he'll say, 'OK, sing it one more time.' I said, 'I think I know the words real good right now so I'm all right."
In a hilarious video posted to Instagram days before Super Bowl LVIII, Reba and Linn joked that he wants in on one of the most popular Super Bowl prop bets -- guessing the length of the national anthem.
The country legend took to Instagram on Saturday and shared video of her and Rex recreating a classic Friends scene from season 5, "The One Where Everybody Finds Out," or as most amigos remember it -- the one where "they don't know we know they know we know."
Reba poked fun at Rex wants to take part in the bet. She captioned the post, "When Rex wants to bet on the National Anthem length..."
Super Bowl LVIII – which is airing on CBS and streaming live on Paramount+ – is at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, and has the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the San Francisco 49ers. Keep checking ETonline for more from the big game, including photos, exclusive interviews and more.
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