The Edge, Lance Bass, Nelly, Roger Daltrey and More
Reflect on Past Performances
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Each Super Bowl halftime performance is seen by millions of people in dozens of countries -- as one of the largest stages in the world, it's a bit of a nerve-racking opportunity, and one that only a few musical artists have been given. As Madonna prepares to take the Super Bowl halftime test, Billboard.com spoke with a handful of artists who have already been there, and passed with flying colors.
From Roger Daltrey reflecting on The Who's American invasion to Nelly reminiscing about Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction," check out what these artists remember most about their Super Bowl Performances.
| 'N SYNC & Aerosmith at Super Bowl 2001 |
AEROSMITH'S TOM HAMILTON, who joined the veteran rockers in playing hits like "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" and "Walk This Way" during the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show: "It's the biggest thing there is. The whole world is watching. So when the phone rings and the guy on the other end says, 'Do you guys want to play the halftime show at the Super Bowl?', you're definitely going to pay attention."
'N SYNC's LANCE BASS, who joined Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Nelly, Mary J. Blige and the rest of the boy band during the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show in 2001: "It was very cool. When they came up with the idea of doing the Super Bowl, we were like, 'OK, we gotta do it with Aerosmith. It's a great idea.' They're one of my favorite bands in the world. We've known them for years; they're great guys."
| The Who at Super Bowl 2010 |
THE WHO'S ROGER DALTREY, who led sing-alongs to "Baba O'Riley" and "Who Are You" during the halftime show at Super Bowl XLIV: "I was flabbergasted. It really is an honor, and coming from where we come from, being kind of totally inspired by American music at such a young age and then playing something like that, that's such an American institution, is unbelievable. I've never ceased to be completely, incredibly humbled by the affections show by America to the Who. It's been an incredible relationship."
| Nelly at Super Bowl 2004 |
NELLY, who performed with Kid Rock, P. Diddy, Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson during the 2004 halftime show, which featured the infamous exposure of Jackson's right breast: "It's hard not to think of that show and not remember [Jackson's wardrobe malfunction]. I was shocked! I mean, you know -- it was a titty out! However it came out, accident or whatever, it came out! I mean, it was what it was. You know, I don't see everybody blowing a gasket for it."
| U2 at Super Bowl 2002 |
U2'S THE EDGE, who helped perform an emotional set in 2002 that included a tribute to the victims of 9/11: "I can't even remember the names of the teams at this point. I remember being really up for the team that eventually won (the New England Patriots) because they were the underdogs and no one thought they had a chance, and they were amazing. I really was completely absorbed by the game. I'm not particularly knowledgable about American football but it in terms of pure drama it was pretty hard not to watch."
| Boyz II Men at Super Bowl 1998 |
BOYZ II MEN'S NATHAN MORRIS, who was featured alongside icons like Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and Queen Latifah for a Motown 40th Anniversary tribute in 1998: "We were just happy to be there. It was our first Super Bowl and we are all huge football fans, so just being there was exciting… It was absolutely incredible. We were signed to Motown early on in our career, so to share the stage with those greats and have the opportunity perform alongside that legacy was a blessing!"
| Bruce Springsteen at Super Bowl 2009 |
E STREET BAND'S NILS LOFGREN, who joined Bruce Springsteen for Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, performing hits like "Born To Run" and "Glory Days" in between the Steelers-Cardinals showdown: "It was great. It goes way beyond just a gig. First of all, TV's never your favorite thing to do in a great band because it removes the three-hour sweat fest. That being said, after 40 years on the road it's without a doubt...the best and greatest TV show opportunity any of us will ever have, at least speaking for myself. Of course, I got greedy there at the end and was hoping my team (the Arizona Cardinals) would win, but I got over it and it was a great game, and it was a great week down there, and good to see John Madden, my old buddy."
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Via: Billboard
