The Super Bowl is officially underway after Chris Stapleton hit the stage to sing the national anthem.
The country music star performed a smooth, heartfelt rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" as a huge American flag was unfolded and held by dozens of people in red and blue. Some listeners were visibly tearing up, notably Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and starting center Jason Kelce.
Oscar-winning deaf actor Troy Kotsur, known for his expressive, emotional signing, performed the anthem in American Sign Language.
During the performance, the U.S. Navy conducted a flyover above the stadium to commemorate 50 years of female aviators in the service. According to the NFL, this was the first pregame flyover in Super Bowl history conducted by an all-woman team of aviators.
Stapleton is an eight-time Grammy winner with two dozen Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards to his name.
The "Tennessee Whiskey" singer grew up in Kentucky but got his start as a singer in Nashville. Stapleton has been a solo artist since 2013, but previously lent his voice to bluegrass and Southern rock bands "The SteelDrivers" and "The Jompson Brothers."
Who else is performing at the Super Bowl in 2023?
R&B legend Babyface performed “America the Beautiful," and actor-singer Sheryl Lee Ralph performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Colin Denny signed “America the Beautiful” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was signed by Justina Miles.
Rihanna, of course, is set for a much-anticipated halftime show — her first live event in seven years. The pop star promised earlier in the week that she's been working hard on a "jam-packed show."
“At the end of the day, if it flops or it flies, my name has to stand by that. And so I really get involved with every aspect of anything I do,” she said in a media preview Thursday.