Celebrities Gossip

Jennifer Hudson sings Super Bowl National Anthem

After having been in seclusion since the October 2008 murders of her mother, brother, and nephew, Jennifer Hudson made her return to performing Sunday with a powerful rendition of the National Anthem to open Super Bowl XLIII (see video below).

After taking a deep breath, Jennifer launched into the song with no hesitation whatsoever, giving it a jazzy/gospel style that is totally her own. She soared on the high notes and dug into the song like she owned it. It was a stunning return to public life for a performer who has endured so much in recent months.

Jennifer’s comeback will continue February 8 with a performance at the Grammy Awards. She is nominated for four awards for her self-titled debut CD. She is also set to perform on February 6 at the Recording Academy’s MusiCares Person of the Year gala honoring Neil Diamond.

Last week, Jennifer concluded filming the video for “If This Isn’t Love,” the second single from her album.

Jennifer Hudson’s Super Bowl Performance: Her First Since Her Mother, Brother Were Killed

One was a 12-minute party, the other a 2-minute proclamation. Bruce Springsteen and Jennifer Hudson used the Super Bowl stage for two very different performances Sunday night: he proved he’s still The Boss with an electric halftime show, while Hudson showed she’s ready to return to the spotlight after the slayings of three family members.

Springsteen and his E Street Band had turned down numerous invitations to play the halftime show, declining the high-profile time slot because it was a bit beneath them.

Then the show slowly started to draw legitimate acts _ U2, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, to name a few _ and Springsteen changed his view of performing in the middle of a football game.

He promised a 12-minute party, and more than delivered by charming the estimated 100 million television viewers with his opening line: “I want you to put the chicken fingers down and turn your television all the way up.”

Springsteen then threw himself into his four-song set, a highly anticipated series of songs that had Las Vegas oddsmakers taking bets on which tunes he’d select. He opened with “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” and worked in one of his trademark across-the-stage knee slides.

The move wasn’t without risk: He slid into one of the on-stage cameras, and seemed to be winded when he transitioned into “Born to Run.”

Next up was his newest piece, “Working on a Dream,” which was backed by a choir. He then closed out with a playful version of “Glory Days” that fittingly altered the lyrics to fit the occasion: Springsteen’s old high school buddy was “a big football player” instead of “baseball,” and threw a “Hail Mary” instead of a “speed ball.”

He and guitarist Steven Van Zandt then toyed with the crowd as the show came to an end, looking at their watches as the clock wound down. Worried they were about to hit “penalty time,” (a referee even raced out and threw a yellow flag), they closed it out right on time.