- - Why Whitney Houston's 1991 Super Bowl National Anthem Performance Created Controversy: 'The Whole Country Was in an Uproar'

Angela AndaloroFebruary 4, 2026 at 12:00 AM

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Whitney Houston sings the National Anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl, days into the Persian Gulf War Michael Zagaris/Getty -

Whitney Houston was at her prime when she was invited to perform at Super Bowl XXV in Tampa, Florida

The game between the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants kicked off with the Grammy winner, then 27, singing the National Anthem

Though there was controversy over the audience at home hearing a different rendition than those in the stadium, Houston worked the situation to her favor, all while giving back to the troops in the early days of the Persian Gulf War

Whitney Houston had no regrets about how she handled performing the National Anthem at Super Bowl XXV.

On Jan. 27, 1991, the Grammy-winning singer, then 27, took to the field to perform the Star-Spangled Banner in front of an audience of American football fans. The poignant moment was more than just the beginning of the big game, with the United States having entered the Persian Gulf War just 10 days prior.

Houston's rendition of the National Anthem stirred up patriotism and controversy when it was revealed that the live rendition was only heard by those in the stadium. While the singer delivered a powerful live performance at Tampa Stadium, audiences at home heard a pre-recorded version.

The recorded version, done in one take, was used because of concerns about noise in and around the open-air stadium in Tampa, Florida.

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At the time, Houston told PEOPLE that after her performance, "I went back up in the sky booth and watched the game," between the New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills.

"It wasn't until a day or two later that I realized the whole country was in an uproar," she said.

Houston and her team found a way to make lemonade out of lemons. As radio stations and individuals around the country reached out to Arista Records, requesting copies of the single, they found a way to make it available while giving back.

Whitney Houston in 1990

Mike Slaughter/Toronto Star via Getty

Within weeks, sales of videotapes, CDs, and audio cassettes of her performance raised more than $500,000 for the American Red Cross Gulf Crisis Fund. It became the fastest-selling single ever on Arista Records.

Months later, she told PEOPLE, "I think it was a time when Americans needed to believe in our country.

''I remember standing there and looking at all those people, and it was like I could see in their faces, the hopes and prayers and fears of the entire country."

The moment is still remembered as one of the most unforgettable in the singer's decades-long career. Houston died at age 48 on Feb. 11, 2012.

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”