Aretha Franklin performed at Super Bowl XL in 2006. She sang the U.S. national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," before the championship game at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The performance placed one of America's most celebrated voices at one of the country's biggest televised sporting events.
Super Bowl XL took place on February 5, 2006, and featured the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Seattle Seahawks. Franklin performed the anthem with Aaron Neville, accompanied by Dr. John on piano. Her appearance was part of a pregame ceremony that also included other major musical performers.
The event is easy to mix up with Franklin's later high-profile appearances, including her performance at Barack Obama's 2009 presidential inauguration and her 2015 Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Carole King. Super Bowl XL was not held in 2008 or 2004; the Roman numeral XL means 40, and the game was played during the 2005 NFL season in early 2006.