The nation will be talking about Babyface's rendition of "America the Beautiful" for years to come.
On Sunday night, February 12, the Girls Night Out crooner took to the center of the State Farm Arena in Glendale, Az. and belted out the patriotic song. During his performance, he wore a black suit and played the song off a customized pink guitar designed by Sue Tsai. His instrument was covered in the American flag and had the NFL logo prominently displayed. It was the first time Kenny "Babyface" Edmunds has ever performed at the big game.
Prior to his performance, Sheryl Lee-Ralph of ABC's Abbott Elementary sang the Black national anthem "Live Every Voice and Sing" with an outstanding choir behind her. Babyface decided to take advantage of the time he had on the field to pay homage to his late mother, Barbara Edmunds.
Soon after he was announced as a performer, Babyface announced that he was dedicating his performance to his late mom. In an interview with TMZ, the revered R&B singer revealed he teamed up with clothing company Shine the Light On to make a special tribute to Mrs. Edmunds. The clothing company made special pink hoodies and plan to donate some of the proceeds from the sales to the non-profit organization Keep Memory Alive, which is the organization his mother was involved with before her death. Barbara Edmunds passed away in 2012 at the age of 80 after suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.
His Super Bowl performance also comes just days after he debuted his new song "As a matter of fact." The song is his first solo record in years.