Tampa, FL, February 1, 2009 – Jennifer Hudson delivered a flawless rendition of the National Anthem at Super Bowl XLIII, her first public performance since the murder of three members of her family last October.  The thousands of football fans at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa and millions more at home held their collective breath, and Hudson struck just the right mood, and the crowd’s support was palpable.  We caught some exclusive photos of Hudson on the football field, touching up her hair and makeup just before she took the stage. 

Faith Hill, who performed first, hung around on the field with her husband, Tim McGraw, to hear Hudson’s song. 

That was not the audience on the field surrounding the stage during Bruce Springsteen’s half-time performance.  Those people you saw screaming at Bruce’s feet were actually volunteers, who told us they’d been training and rehearsing, even in the rain, for five days before the big game.  So when The Boss told us to “put the chicken fingers down” and get up and boogie, the field wasn’t littered with them. 

We sniffed out Paris Hilton way up in the stands in the end zone, about 20 rows back.  Literally – as someone in a baseball cap passed by, a photographer recognized the scent of Hilton’s perfume wafting in the air, and realized it was, in fact, Paris!  Even though her sears weren’t great, Hilton got to see one very exciting football game.