Producer: Jennifer Hudson Lip Synched the National Anthem
Well, perhaps it was a bit too perfect for a live performance now that we think about it. The producer of the Super Bowl halftime show told the Associated Press that Jennifer Hudson lip synched her rousing rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" the Super Bowl Sunday.
But after the game, the show's producer, "American Idol" music director Ricky Minor, told The Associated Press that, at his request, Hudson lip-synched the anthem to a previously recorded track.
"This was such an important performance, because it's the first time everyone has seen Jennifer. But she's in such a great place, with such great spirits, and time can heal her wounds. She's on fire right now and totally grounded," said Minor, who has produced a number of Super Bowl pregame performances, including Whitney Houston's iconic 1991 rendition of the anthem, also in Tampa, which is considered one of the all-time greats.
Minor explained that he insisted that both Hudson and Faith Hill, who performed "America the Beautiful" before Hudson, sing to the prerecorded tracks the NFL requires them to submit a week before the game.
"That's the right way to do it," Minor said. "There's too many variables to go live. I would never recommend any artist go live, because the slightest glitch would devastate the performance."
