Lauren Daigle, a Christian music star, has been tapped to perform at the Super Bowl this weekend after New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell attempted to ban her in 2020 for not following COVID-19 restrictions.
According to Fox News, the 33-year-year singer, and Louisiana native, will be singing a rendition of “America the Beautiful” with jazz musician Trombone Shorty during the Super Bowl pregame show this Sunday at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Mayor Cantrell called for Daigle to be banned from performing when New Orleans hosted “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Celebration,” after the two-time Grammy Award winner gave an impromptu performance during an outdoor prayer service held by Christian singer and worship leader Sean Feucht.
Feucht was part of the “Let Us Worship” tour that was in protest to COVID-19 restrictions on worship in churches, where attendees refused to wear masks which at the time was a public health requirement. This raised the ire of Cantrell, who got Daigle banned for her participation, saying Daigle “put people in danger.”
Joining Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo on his “Arroyo Grande” podcast, Daigle said she was shocked at Cantrell’s reaction and public statements calling her a “weapon to society.”
“When I saw that come out, I was shocked to be honest, I was like, wait, you approved of all of this, you know … there’s no amount of public ridicule that is fun,” Daigle said, adding that she learned that when people need hope, coming together is one of the most powerful things people can do.
Daigle noted she feels it was the hand of God that helped her come full circle, noting the support she got during that time was invaluable, especially now she feels vindicated.
“To get this moment years later, I would say for anybody watching that has had their reputation smeared in any sort of way and they are just waiting for the moment of vindication, sometimes it only takes five years,” Daigle told Arroyo.
