Before Super Bowl XXV kicked off in front of 73,813 people on Jan. 27, 1991, Whitney Houston sang one of the most memorable renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” This is the story of how Houston’s performance came together amid Super Bowl hype 30 years ago in Tampa, Florida, as told by those who were part of the production, select players and coaches and those who witnessed it as football fans.
Ten days before the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills played at Tampa Stadium, Operation Desert Storm began. Tensions and worries were high in the United States, with a nation facing the realities of war in the Persian Gulf.