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 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, 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 with an incredible rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. #SBLVII pic.twitter.com/3iho2kTssr
– NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2023
Ralph previously recalled the moment she was asked to perform in an interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” 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 of ‘Abbott Elementary.'”
Keep reading for more photos of Ralph performing in Arizona on Sunday.