Country music superstar Carrie Underwood to headline the 2024 Concert for Legends
CANTON ? Country music superstar Carrie Underwood will headline the 2024 Concert for Legends this summer during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival.
In what's expected to be a hot seller, the performance by the 2005 "American Idol" winner will take place Aug. 4 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at the Hall of Fame Village.
The eight-time Grammy winner will be the first female headliner at the Concert for Legends, which is one of the most popular events during the annual celebration of the latest enshrinement class into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The opening act will be announced at a later date.
Carrie Underwood is an ideal fit for Concert for Legends
Underwood is an ideal fit. Not only has country music proven to be a popular draw at past enshrinement festival concerts, but she's also an ambassador of sorts for the NFL. She sings the theme song "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" for televised Sunday night NFL games.
Her popular songs include "Before He Cheats," "Jesus, Take the Wheel," "Love Wins," "Cry Pretty," "Blown Away," "Choctaw County Affair," "Last Name," "Two Black Cadillacs," "All-American Girl" and "Pink Champagne."
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"We are thrilled to welcome Carrie Underwood to the 2024 Concert for Legends stage," Michael Crawford, president and CEO of Hall of Fame Village, said Wednesday in the announcement. "Her incredible talent and showmanship, widespread appeal, and strong connection with country music, as well as to football fans everywhere, make her an ideal selection for an event that pays tribute to the best to ever play the game.
"We look forward to an entertainment-packed night filled with chart-topping music while we celebrate our 2024 enshrinees at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium."
Tom Benson Stadium is next to the Pro Football Hall of Fame museum and part of the Hall of Fame Village, a 100-acre entertainment campus featuring restaurants, shops, amusement park rides, practice fields and a dome for sports, recreation and events.
Underwood, a record-setting musical artist, will give the Concert for Legends plenty of pizazz. And she follows in a line of other music stars from past shows, including Aerosmith in 2015, Maroon 5 in 2018, Imagine Dragons in 2019, Brad Paisley in 2021, Journey in 2022 and Zac Brown Band in 2023.
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"Anticipation builds as newcomers and dedicated fans unite to witness the perfect harmony of Carrie Underwood's performance with Enshrinement Weekend," Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a prepared statement. "The Pro Football Hall of Fame, in collaboration with our partners at Hall of Fame Village, eagerly looks forward to embracing this stellar artist, which will be a captivating show."
What's the Carrie Underwood and Marcus Allen connection?
There's an interesting backstory to Underwood's booking in Canton.
During a November interview about happenings at the Village, Crawford said that Los Angeles Raiders great Marcus Allen served as a conduit for this year's Concert for Legends act.
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A member of the Village's board of directors, Allen suggested the headliner.
"He was out at a game in Las Vegas for the Raiders," Crawford said of Allen, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Heisman Trophy winner. "He calls me from the owner's box and he says, 'Hey, I've got somebody who I think ... will be a great concert or us ? here's the contact, go ahead and call their agent.'"
Carrie Underwood can rock out to Guns N' Roses
While known for country music, Underwood's sound includes pop and rock influences.
A fan of Guns N' Roses, Underwood has appeared on stage with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band's lead singer Axl Rose multiple times while showing off her impressive vocal range during rousing performances of "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child O' Mine."
In 2022, she released the album "Denim & Rhinestones," followed by a deluxe edition of the record last year.
Underwood also has had a Las Vegas residency at the Resorts World Theatre since 2021.
She first gained fame by winning the fourth season of the televised singing competition "American Idol," followed by her debut album "Some Hearts" in 2005. Other albums include "Carnival Ride" in 2007, "Blown Away" in 2012, "Storyteller" in 2015 and "Cry Pretty" in 2018.
Award-winning performer
Underwood has sold more than 80 million records worldwide while charting numerous No. 1 singles, many of which she co-wrote.
Seven of her albums are multi-platinum; Underwood has co-produced three of her records. All 10 albums have debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 chart for all genres.
Accolades also include 16 Academy of Country Music Awards, including three for Entertainer of the Year, as well as a record-setting 25 Country Music Television Awards, the Hall of Fame Village news release said.
Author of "Find Your Path," Underwood is also an entrepreneur and created the fitness app fit52. In 2023, she launched her exclusive year-round SiriusXM channel, "CARRIE’S COUNTRY."
Concert for Legends tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Monday at hofvillage.com and https://www.ticketmaster.com/.
Presale tickets for Underwood fan club members will be available from 10 a.m. Thursday through 10 p.m. Sunday. Ticket prices range from $69 to $199.
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Carrie Underwood headlining 2024 Concert for Legends in Canton
