Kelly Clarkson sings national anthem before Predators game
Grammy winner continued string of high-profile performers in Nashville, tweets hopefully for a win
NHL.com @NHLdotcom
Kelly Clarkson continued the string of high-profile singers of the national anthem before Stanley Cup Playoff games at Bridgestone Arena during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday before Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Anaheim Ducks.
Clarkson, the "American Idol" Season 1 winner in 2002 and three-time Grammy winner, wore a personalized jersey. Kings of Leon, from Memphis, Tenn., kept the musical theme going by waving the Predators' rally towels to get the crowd pumped up.
Country music megastar Keith Urban sang the "Star-Spangled Banner" on Tuesday before Game 3. It was the first time Urban, a resident of Nashville for the past 25 years, had sung the anthem at a sporting event. Urban's wife, Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, was also at the game.
The celebrity anthem singer is a tradition in Nashville but reached a new level at the start of the 2017 postseason when Carrie Underwood was the surprise anthem singer before Game 3 of the first round against the Chicago Blackhawks.
It was the first time Underwood, married to Predators captain Mike Fisher, performed the national anthem at a Predators game. She has won seven Grammy Awards and is among the best-known singers of her generation.
Before Game 4 against the Blackhawks, country music star Luke Bryan, the 2015 Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, handled anthem duties.
Bryan played a concert at Bridgestone Arena last Saturday and was joined by Underwood for a song. He wore a Predators baseball hat and Underwood had on a blue Predators t-shirt with her husband's name and No. 12 on it.
Little Big Town, a two-time Grammy Award winner, sang the "Star-Spangled Banner" before Game 3 of the second round. Before Game 4, country music legend Vince Gill, joined by his daughters Jenny and Corrina, performed.
Gill, who wore a Roman Josi Predators home jersey, has supported the Predators since their inception in 1997 and is a longtime season-ticket holder.