Jennifer Hudson to sing at the Super Bowl

Singing of anthem will be first appearance since slaying of family members

	The music and film career of former “American Idol” Jennifer Hudson was continuing its skyrocketing rise when the slayings occurred in October.
Chris Pizzello / AP file

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updated 6:48 p.m. ET Jan. 15, 2009

NEW YORK - Jennifer Hudson is using sports’ grandest stage — the Super Bowl — to make her return to the spotlight following the slayings of her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed Wednesday that Hudson will sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 1. E! News first reported Tuesday that Hudson would perform.

Hudson hasn’t made a public appearance since her 57-year-old mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson; 29-year-old brother Jason Hudson; and 7-year-old nephew Julian King were slain in Chicago in October. Her estranged brother-in-law has been charged in the killings.

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Hudson, who had released her self-titled debut album shortly before the killings, is also scheduled to sing at the Grammys’ MusiCares event in Los Angeles a few days later. She is nominated for four awards at the Feb. 8 Grammy Awards.

The 27-year-old Hudson already has an Oscar to her credit, a best supporting actress win for her role in “Dreamgirls.” The former “American Idol” contestant’s career was continuing its skyrocketing rise, with featured roles in movies like “Sex and the City” and “The Secret Life of Bees,” as well as her album release, when the slayings occurred.

The Super Bowl is one of the most viewed spectacles on television. Bruce Springsteen is scheduled to sing during halftime of the pro football championship game.