Gospel duo Mary Mary may still be on hiatus as they continue to pursue solo endeavors, but sisters Erica Campbell and Tina Campbell came together for Super Bowl LVI to do it for their city and the culture.
This year's Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals took place at SoFi Stadium in Mary Mary's hometown of Inglewood, California. They were chosen to sing "Lift Every Voice And Sing," the James Weldon Johnson composition more commonly known as the "Black National Anthem," with an arrangement by Derrick Hodge. The sisters were accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Youth Orchestra Los Angeles conducted by Thomas Wilkins.
The performance occurred outside on the stadium grounds before the festivities started. Decked out in coordinating bedazzled blue outfits in a nod to the Rams, Erica and Tina were dressed for success. As good as they looked, they sounded even better. Hodges' arrangement tailored the song – that is not easy to sing – to their voices, which soared with every note.
"Lift Every Voice And Sing" isn't typically performed at the Super Bowl, but with the big game happening during Black History Month, this was a very nice touch. We hope that this begins a new NFL tradition. We also have our fingers crossed that we'll see more of Mary Mary together and maybe even get some new music from the beloved gospel stars.
