The pregame festivities for the Super Bowl are full of pageantry and fanfare, but you’ll sometimes get a performance like we got from Sheryl Lee Ralph on Sunday. The Abbott Elementary star belted an absolutely stunning rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” that left everyone in awe.
Ralph, who has had roles on Broadway over the course of her career, took to the small stage at midfield after the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott won the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award (which earned him some enthusiastic boos from the Philadelphia Eagles fans in attendance).
Known as the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was performed for the first time publicly 123 years ago. It’s the first time that Ralph has sung it, according to one of her tweets from Sunday morning.
.@thesherylralph with an incredible rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing". #SBLVII pic.twitter.com/3iho2kTssr
— NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2023
If we had any doubts that this performance would be incredible, we should have just trusted her son, Etienne Maurice, who got a sneak peak of the rendition earlier in the day.
Just leaving rehearsal for Mommy’s Super Bowl performance and no cap I’m not hyping this up because she’s my mom yall, but her performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing is going to be one of the greatest Super Bowl pre-show performances in history!!! @NFL @RocNation
— Your Friend’s Friend (@walkgoodetienne) February 10, 2023
Much like her Abbott Elementary character Barbara Howard, Ralph is an enthusiastic and dedicated fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. Now that her performance is done, she can go be a fan.
Really thought our guy @FourVerts was about to get smacked by @thesherylralph at NFL Honors 🤣#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/CgrTlC9ynQ
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 10, 2023