Here is Diana Ross during the national anthem at Superbowl XVI in 1982..
Now if you could pan the camera over to the right you would see the Michigan Marching Band (standing at attention and possibly singing along.) It's right here in black and white in this photo I took for the Michigan Marching Band 1981-82 yearbook.
Now, this was not the first MMB encounter with Diana Ross. On day-before-the-Superbowl-Saturday, the band got to experience a unique and interesting rehearsal at the Silverdome.
The first part of the adventure was getting there. No Greyhounds for this short trip to Pontiac. We took U-M buses (like the ones that circled around and went up to North Campus.) They did the job OK until hitting the solid ice rink that was the Silverdome parking lot. The bus I was on did a spectacular 10 mile/hour skid. The driver remained calm and willed the bus to stay straight, but otherwise had no control whatsoever. We also remained calm but also said "wheeeee" and other enthusiastic things. The bus eventually ran out of momentum and the thrill ride was over.
Time to enter the Silverdome. It was very quiet and a bit dark. This was due to a video being made in the press box. The band got to practice standing on the field doing nothing. Not really nothing - quietly socializing and making up funny jokes about doing nothing in the empty Silverdome the day before the Super Bowl.
Then Diana Ross arrived with her entourage
of about five people, one of whom was a woman whose sole function seemed to be
carrying the fur coat.
They stood on the sidelines, also doing nothing. Or maybe they were making up funny jokes about being in the Silverdome with a marching band doing nothing. (We will never know.)
Finally, quiet time was over and rehearsal commenced. With the MMB lined up and one end of the field, a fife and drum corps at the other end, Diana Ross took the 50 yard line and picked up the microphone. She said, "Sing with authority, sing with me", then performed the Star Spangled Banner in her own special way. Then she went through it again. And again. After 3 times through, a band member said to me, "listen" and pointed out something fascinating. There was a very slight irregularity in one note -- not unpleasant, but not something that was intentional. And it was exactly the same every time. We came to the conclusion that this was a recording. And it was just like that at the for-real Superbowl pregame too, but she did it so well, that nobody would realize this without hearing it over and over.
After pregame was over the Michigan Marching Band and Diana Ross went their separate ways (and I managed to be in the right place to get this paparazzi shot of her waving to the crowd.)
Go see the rest of the yearbook photos of the
Michigan Marching Band at Superbowl XVI.
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