Aretha Franklin will sing the National Anthem at Super Bowl XL being held in the Motor City on Sunday, February 5 at 6 pm at Ford Field. “The Queen of Soul” will be joined by one of New Orleans’ “favorite sons,” Aaron Neville.

The Grammy-Award winning twosome will team up to perform live in front of an estimated worldwide audience of over 130 million viewers. Franklin will make several national television appearances surrounding the Super Bowl performance. As one of Detroit’s biggest boosters, the music legend will appear several shows including “Good Morning America” and the Fox-TV network’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” among others.

In December, a ground swell amongst Detroit-area residents began to surface when the NFL announced its choice of the Rolling Stones for Super Bowl halftime entertainment. Many believed that with the strong legacy of talent that Detroit offers – including being the original home of the legendary Motown Records - that Detroit artists were passed over for a halftime performance and should be asked to perform. Those in Detroit are fiercely proud of the city’s musical contributions, which in addition to Motown stars such as Stevie Wonder, Smokie Robinson, Diana Ross and The Four Tops, the city boasts recent artists including Kid Rock and Eminem who both hail from the Detroit area. An on-air campaign began by local radio personality Mildred Gaddis urged listeners to call the NFL offices to call and let their voices be heard. The campaign ended with Aretha Franklin - one of Detroit’s biggest ambassador’s - being named to open the 40th Anniversary of the Super Bowl with the kick-off performance.

Franklin’s singing career started at Detroit’s New Bethel Baptist Church where her father, Rev. C.L. Franklin preached, and she still lives in the Motor City. She is proud to represent her hometown as it plays host to one of America’s biggest pastimes. “I expect to have a super evening at the Super Bowl,” Franklin says. “They have called me to perform in other years, but I was not flying or driving to the cities where they were having the Super Bowl including places like Denver and Florida. So they have been good enough to come to the fabulous city of Detroit and Detroiters are ready to show them a royal welcome! Also, thanks to the city of Detroit for responding so greatly.”

2006 will be a busy year for The Queen of Soul. After her Super Bowl performance next month, Franklin plans on continuing her live performances in select cities around the country, making several national television appearances and releasing, not one, but two CDs this year!