Photo credit: Joseph Llanes. (PRNewsFoto/Churchill Downs Racetrack)
Churchill Downs Racetrack today announced that the seven-time Grammy Award- winning trio Lady Antebellum will sing the national anthem at the 142nd Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on Saturday, May 7.
Kicking off the summer season of their 2016 Summer Tour, the country superstars will come together to perform, “The Star-Spangled Banner” live to the more than 170,000 fans who attend the Kentucky Derby. The performance will take place in the Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle just after 5:00 PM EDT, immediately prior to the historic race, and be broadcast live as part of NBC’s telecast of the Kentucky Derby.
“Each year we work to honor the Kentucky Derby’s rich traditions and celebrate the best of American culture,” said Kevin Flanery, President of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “As an internationally-recognized musical group, Lady Antebellum is the perfect fit to uphold the Derby’s traditions and we are thrilled for them to perform our national anthem for the millions of Derby viewers and fans around the world.”
Lady Antebellum is the eighth artist to perform the national anthem since Churchill Downs began the tradition in 2009. Notable artists who have performed the national anthem are Josh Groban (2015), Jo Dee Messina (2014), Martina McBride (2013), Mary J. Blige (2012), Jordin Sparks (2011), Rascal Flatts (2010) and Lee Ann Rimes (2009).
As the oldest continuously held sporting event in North America, the Kentucky Derby extends beyond the historic race. Its iconic food, fashion and cocktails make it a worldwide celebration. The Kentucky Derby traditions are incorporated throughout the event, from the carefully curated menu and classic mint julep to the performance of the national anthem by major artists.
About Lady Antebellum
The seven-time GRAMMY award-winning group Lady Antebellum has secured nine chart-topping hits while earning six PLATINUM singles and selling over 11 million albums worldwide. The trio has earned “Vocal Group of the Year” honors from both the CMA and ACMs three years in a row. It’s their universal appeal that continues to resonate across the globe, and fans in North America can next catch the multi-Platinum trio on their 2016 Summer Tour beginning May 27 in Baton Rouge, LA. For a full list of upcoming tour dates visit www.ladyantebellum.com.
About the Kentucky Derby
The $2 million Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Inaugurated in 1875, the legendary 1 1/4-mile race for three-year-olds is the oldest continuously held major sporting event in North America and the first leg of horse racing’s challenging Triple Crown series. Also known as the “The Run for the Roses,” “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” and “America’s Race,” the Kentucky Derby is the most attended horse race in the nation, with more than 170,000 attendees in 2015.
About Churchill Downs Racetrack
Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) offers year-round simulcast wagering. Churchill Downs will conduct the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on May 7, 2016. www.ChurchillDowns.com.