(Gray News) — Singer Coco Jones stunned the crowd when she performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” during the opening ceremony of Super Bowl 60 on Sunday.
Jones wore a white jacket with a red stripe across the chest and a band of black and green around the right arm — similar to the jacket Whitney Houston wore in 1991 when she gave an iconic performance of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Super Bowl XXV.
At the time, only fans in the stadium heard Houston’s live performance. A one-take recorded version was played for those watching the broadcast, which created an uproar.
Houston found a way to make her stadium version available and donated the money raised from sales to the American Red Cross Gulf Crisis Fund, People reported.
Coco Jones performs before the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif.(Julio Cortez | AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Jones sought guidance from Alicia Keys, who became the first artist to sing the song for the NFL in 2000.
“She just told me, ‘Don’t be nervous — be in the moment,’” Jones said. “That meant a lot coming from her.”
Though she had performed on stadium stages before, she said repetition was important in her preparation.
“I try to overly practice,” she said. “When everything is second nature … I’m just a vessel.”
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