Musical acts meant to honor New Orleans, Detroit

DETROIT FREE PRESS
SINGER AARON NEVILLE AND PIANIST DR. JOHN HAVE BEEN BOOKED TO PERFORM THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT NEXT MONTH'S SUPER BOWL IN DETROIT.
THE NFL'S SELECTION OF THE TWO MUSIC VETERANS FOR THE FEB. 5 GAME AT FORD FIELD IS A GESTURE TO HONOR TO THEIR HOMETOWN OF NEW ORLEANS, SAID SOURCES WITH SUPER BOWL EVENT PRODUCTION. THE CITY HAS EMBARKED ON A MAJOR REBUILDING EFFORT IN THE WAKE OF LAST YEAR'S HURRICANE KATRINA DISASTER.
RISING R & amp;B STAR JOHN LEGEND IS ALSO BEING ADDED TO THE PREGAME MUSIC BILL, WHERE HE'LL JOIN MOTOWN STAR STEVIE WONDER AND OTHER MUSICIANS.
NEVILLE, BEST KNOWN FOR HIS 1967 HIT "TELL IT LIKE IT IS," WILL BECOME THE FIRST ARTIST TO HAVE SUNG THE SUPER BOWL ANTHEM MORE THAN ONCE: HE ALSO PERFORMED "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER" AT 1990'S GAME IN NEW ORLEANS' SUPERDOME. THE FEATHERY-VOICED SINGER PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE LIP-SYNCHED TO A RENDITION TAPED WEEKS EARLIER.
NEVILLE AND DR. JOHN ARE EXPECTED TO PRERECORD THEIR FORD FIELD VERSION AS WELL.
"NOBODY TAKES ANY CHANCES WITH THIS," SAID ONE SOURCE WITH THE GAME'S PRODUCTION. "WITH THIS MANY PEOPLE WATCHING, THEY DON'T WANT ONE BAD WIRE MESSING UP THE WHOLE THING."
COPLIN OF THE NFL SAID THE ROLLING STONES' HALFTIME PERFORMANCE AT FORD FIELD WILL BE "LIVE, LIVE, LIVE," WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT SOME HALFTIME STARS HAVE PLAYED TO TAPED BACKING TRACKS.