Lady Gaga: ‘Super Bowl performance is a dream come true’

Lady Gaga still can’t believe she will grace the Super Bowl stage on Sunday (07Feb16) to sing America’s national anthem, insisting it is a “dream come true”.
The Born This Way star will follow in the footsteps of Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, and last year’s (15) singer, Idina Menzel, when she belts out The Star-Spangled Banner before the big American football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos in Santa Clara, California.
She will be joined by hearing-impaired Oscar winner Marlee Matlin, who will perform the song in American Sign Language.
Gaga knows she has big shoes to fill, but she is thrilled about landing the huge gig.
“I was so excited (when they asked me),” she tells NFL.com. “It’s such an honour. I’ve always wanted to sing the National Anthem at a major sporting event since I was a little girl, and for it to be the ultimate (sporting event is surreal).
“Whitney Houston (is my favorite performer to sing the national anthem),” she continues. “When I was little, I used to stand at the top of my staircase and sing her version. At home, the more I would sing it, the more my dad would be like, ‘You’re getting pretty good, kid.’ So now, to sing it to America, it’s wonderful.”
Gaga will also perform a tribute to the late David Bowie at the Grammy Awards later this month (Feb16), but she feels her Super Bowl performance will be a career topper.
“This is one of the highest honours of my career…,” she adds. “I think (the game) marks what being an American is all about – working hard and the ultimate payoff for the champion is hard work. I think the best way to do that is forget about yourself, and just focus on what it means.”
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