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Renee Fleming: Opera star to sing national anthem at Super Bowl

Renee Fleming, a four-time Grammy winner, is the first opera star to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. She performed at the 2013 Christmas tree lighting in DC and at the 2003 World Series.

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Kiichiro Sato/AP
Renee Fleming, seen here in Chicago in March 2012, will sing the national anthem before the Denver Broncos take on the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on Feb 2, 2014 at the Super Bowl.
  • By Associated Press

| NEW YORK

The Super Bowl will have a touch of the classical this year: Opera star Renee Fleming will sing the national anthem.

The four-time Grammy winner will perform before the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb 2. Fleming is the first opera star to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. In recent years, it has been performed mainly by a mix of pop and country stars.

Known as "The People's Diva," the soprano is closely identified with the New York City region, having spent years singing on iconic stages such as Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Last year, she received the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor the government gives to artists.

Fleming, who lives in New York City, sang the national anthem before Game 2 of the 2003 World Series at Yankee Stadium.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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