Super Bowl Halftime Honor Roll

Posted: Jan 29, 07 6:36pm

Prince will pack a powerful punch as he headlines the halftime show at Super Bowl 41, Sunday, February 4, 2007.

How times have changed. Jazz greats and marching bands dominated mid-game entertainment in the early days of this premier NFL showcase. Here are just a few halftime stars from Super Bowl’s 1 through 10...

* Singers Al Hirt and Ella Fitzgerald.

* Grambling University, Michigan, and Florida A&M’s marching bands.

* Mercer Ellington and Woody Herman’s big bands.

By the mid 1980’s, the halftime entertainment bookers shifted to more contemporary acts. Super Bowl 25 marked a major change. New Kids on the Block, (remember them?), were the featured headliners.

In more recent years, lots of classic R&B – soul artists have been showcased during the big game break.

Let’s look at some of the R&B/pop performers who are in the Super Bowl halftime honor roll:

22: Chubby Checker (1988)

27: Michael Jackson (1993)

29: Patti Labelle (1995)

30: Diana Ross (1996)

31: James Brown (1997)

32: Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, Temptations,

Queen Latifah (1998)

33: Stevie Wonder (1999)

34: Toni Braxton (2000)

35: Mary J. Blige (2001)

38: Janet Jackson (2004)

The probability of Prince shocking the house with some risque moves, raunchy lyrics, or racy choreography is pretty remote.

With the television feed on a delay, “the game is on” to see how much no-holds-barred cutting edge artistic creativity can slip through the eagle eyes and ears of the panic button holding censors.

Last year, the Rolling Stones were bleeped during one of their songs. We all remember the famous Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” incident with Justin Timberlake in 2004.

Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Most of his hits are “clean,” so he should have no problem entertaining the one billion fans who will be watching.