Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert to Open at Super Bowl

By Emma Koonse, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, February 02, 2012

Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton have agreed to perform on television for the first time as husband and wife at the Super Bowl this year.

Singing "America the Beautiful," the newlyweds will kick off the football championship Sunday night. The performance will take place in Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium where the New England Patriots will take on the New York Giants. Additionally, the patriotic song by the couple was released on iTunes Wednesday.

Lambert, 28, and Shelton, were married on May 9, 2011, in Texas. Their wedding included guests such as Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson, Martina McBride, and Dierks Bentley. On Thursday, Shelton will appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." The talk show airs on NBC at 10:35 p.m. EST on weekdays.

The singer will be busy this week, with the next season of his highly anticipated reality show premiering Sunday. Following Super Bowl XLVI and the postgame festivities, Shelton will make his return to "The Voice," which airs on NBC at 10:00 p.m. EST Sunday.

"The Voice" will adjust into its regular time slot in the weeks following the Super Bowl, when it will air from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST on Mondays.

Lambert, on the other hand, is also busy. The singer has been announced as a presenter at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards alongside stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Dierks Bentley. The awards show will take place on Feb. 12.

Along with the couple, Sunday's pregame festivities ahead of the Super Bowl will see artists Lenny Kravitz and The Fray, NBC announced Tuesday. Kelly Clarkson will do the honor of singing the national anthem, joining Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond, and many others, who have done the same in the past.

Superstar Madonna will take the stage during the halftime show. The 51-year-old singer is expected to be joined by Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. as well as LMFAO and Cee Lo Green, according to USA Today.