Marching ‘100’ will perform with Prince in Super Bowl half-time show.
TALLAHASSEE – In 3 days and counting, when the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears tangle in Miami, only entertainment royalty and the Rattlers will be in the middle of them. Prince and the Florida A&M University “Marching 100” will take to the field Feb. 4 in Miami for “The Pepsi Super Bowl XLI Half-time Show featuring Prince.”
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our band and our university,” said Florida A&M University (FAMU) Interim President Castell Vaughn Bryant. “We are very proud of the invitation to perform with such a talent on this international stage. While we are all familiar with the quality of our performing-arts program, this gives us just one more chance to show the world the type of outstanding musicianship that comes from FAMU.”
The Super Bowl annually ranks as the most-watched TV program of the year, reaching about 140 million U.S. viewers and one billion global viewers in 220 countries, according to the National Football League’s website.
Julian White, director of bands at FAMU, said he and other band officials are working with the Don Mischer Production Company to ensure that the “Marching 100” is ready, once again, for primetime.
The world-famous band already has under its hat three Super Bowl appearances, a Welch’s Grape Drink commercial, the French Bi-Centennial celebration in Paris, France and a live 2006 Grammys Award performance with Kanye West and Jamie Foxx.
And, now, pop music royalty, Prince . . .
“It is quite an honor to be sharing the spotlight with Prince,” White said. “Already, we are putting the routine together and preparing our student performers. Even though we have been to the Super Bowl before, the excitement never wears off.”
According to Julianne Hare, a coordinating producer of the show, the band will perform for approximately eight minutes. She said the production company – and all others -- will not discuss the particulars of what promises to be a sizzling performance with more than 200 members of the FAMU band appearing in the half-time show.
She did have one detail to share: “We are thrilled about FAMU performing in the Super Bowl. We are proud that we have you guys.”
