Irma Thomas, the Soul Queen of New Orleans, will sing the national anthem at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day. The performance will take place in the Caesars Superdome before nearly 70,000 spectators ahead of the Ole Miss versus Georgia matchup.
Irma Thomas, long recognized as the Soul Queen of New Orleans, is set to perform "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in the Caesars Superdome on New Year’s Day. The bowl’s organizers announced the news this week, highlighting her role before the game between Ole Miss and Georgia draws nearly 70,000 fans.
This will not be Thomas's first high-profile anthem performance. She previously sang it at the New Orleans Saints’ first home game following Hurricane Katrina, joined by her longtime collaborator Allen Toussaint. For the Sugar Bowl, Thomas intends to keep her rendition traditional. "I don't change it up," she said. "I do it straight just like it is. The ending, I may do a bit more, hitting that high note, but I keep it pretty much as it was done. I don't try to make it different. That's not the way it's supposed to be done."
At 84 years old, Thomas remains active in music, expressing enthusiasm for her craft. "I love what I do," she said. "It's a gift I'm blessed with to bring joy to others. I'm 84 years old and I plan on bringing joy through music for as long as I can."
Her career spans decades, beginning in her teens when she sang professionally while waiting tables and raising four children. In the 1960s, she achieved a breakthrough with her self-written hit "Wish Someone Would Care." After a short time in Los Angeles during the 1970s, she returned to New Orleans and has been a staple at every Jazz Fest since its inception.
Recently, Thomas has connected with younger audiences via her song "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)" in the Netflix series "Black Mirror." Last May, she joined the Rolling Stones onstage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to perform "Time Is On My Side," a track both recorded in the 1960s.
