Best Super Bowl Halftime Show
Feb 4, 2015 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
Carol Channing in 1973, photo by Allan Warren
Did you watch the big game last Sunday – or more importantly, did you catch the halftime show? The combination of Katy Perry and Missy Elliott proved sensational on stage, but could you imagine a performance with the legendary Ella Fitzgerald and iconic Carol Channing? Well imagine no more my friend – it happened in real life! Fellow vintage lovers and music enthusiasts, I think we’ve found it: the best Super Bowl halftime show. The setting for this amazing performance was Super Bowl VI, 1972. It was a year of milestones as an epic battle raged between the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins (well, not really epic – the final score was Dallas: 24 and Miami: 3). This Super Bowl was the first time the NFL logo was painted at the 50-yard line, celebrating the recent merger of the AFL and NFL. And this was the last Super Bowl that had blackout rules. This really intrigued me, based on our cravings for 24 hour news cycles and live events. Super Bowls I through VI had a clause in effect that prohibited the live telecast from being shown in the area where the game itself was being played. Picture the outrage if no one in the Southwest could have seen this year’s game live!
The beautiful Ella in 1946, image from William P Gottlieb
But enough nerding out about random NFL factoids. Back to our two lovely ladies: Fitzgerald and Channing. Over the years the Super Bowl halftime show has been the venue for a variety of strong female artists: Madonna and Beyoncé (to name a couple). And while there’s a relatively good gender mix for performance artists, it’s pretty cool to note that women paved the way. Channing became the first celebrity to headline the halftime act in Super Bowl IV. Here she is talking about this big moment, which she didn’t even rehearse for. Yep, she just charted new territory for the television and entertainment industry like a boss. Prior to her performance, collegiate marching bands carried the show. For Super Bowl VI (which was played in New Orleans), the two ladies crafted a set that paid homage to one of New Orleans’ favorite sons: “A Salute to Louis Armstrong.” Armstrong had sadly passed away a year earlier, in 1971. When Fitzgerald took the stage she earned the title of first African-American woman to perform for this event. Pretty cool, huh?
I was disappointed not to find this dynamic duo on the list of top Super Bowl halftime shows. But since I couldn’t find a You Tube clip for this halftime show, maybe it’s not that surprising. Hall of Fame trumpeter Al Hirt joined our two singing sirens and really helped solidify the Super Bowl’s jazz roots. I’ve tried to find a set list for this particular halftime show, but no luck. So what do you think would be on the list for this epic performance? I’m guessing “What A Wonderful World”, “When the Saints Go Marching In”, and “Hello Dolly!” (I can see Channing belting that out in grand style.)
Cause A Frockus would like to thank all the resources we linked to and the people who post their imagery in the public domain.
For our readers: Would you like to see the Super Bowl halftime show feature more retro tunes rather than pop hits?