Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to Perform at Super Bowl XLII

According to NFL.com, this year's Super Bowl Halftime Entertainment will feature the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The event will take place on February 3, 2008 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It has not been officially released as yet, but there are speculations that Jordin Sparks, the American Idol winner who is from Glendale, will be singing the National Anthem.

Other groups previously considered for the halftime show entertainment were the Eagles, Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.

The choice of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers seems to follow the new trend by the NFL to appeal to the older audience watching the game. After an embarrassing mishap with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake at the halftime show in 2004, the National Football League has taken back the staging of the halftime show previously produced by MTV and other producers. Past entertainers chosen by the National Football League were Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and Prince.

The member lineup for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers include co-founders Mike Campbell on guitar, Benmont Tench on keyboards and Ron Blair on the bass. They were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2002. Some of their hits include the classic rocks songs like American Girl, Free Fallin' and I Won't Back Down.

But before Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers take the stage there are some fantastic pre game entertainers. Three groups will be featured at the Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Concert Series. Maroon 5, Mary J. Blige and latin's music's RBD will be performing in two concerts at Glendale's Jobing Arena, taking place January 31 and February 1st, 2008.

Mary J. Blige and Maroon 5 will perform on January 31st, the first night of the Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Concert Series.

Maroon 5 is a soul influenced American band. They are from Los Angeles, California. The five members of the band are Adam Levine,( lead singer, guitar), James Valentine, (guitar, backing vocals), Jesse Carmichael,( keyboards, backing vocals), Mickey Madden,( bass guitar), and Matt Flynn, (drums). They are most famous for their hit songs "Harder to Breathe", "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved". Maroon 5 just released their second album this year titled "It Won't Be Soon Before Long", which topped out at #1. From this album came the new chart topping hit "Makes Me Wonder".

Mary J. Blige is an American R & B, soul and hip hop singer. She is a songwriter, rapper, record producer as well as an actress. She has sold over 40 million records worldwide. Most people know her as the "Queen of Hip Hop Soul". Mary J. Blige is a 6 time Grammy winner. She has a new album called "Growing Pains". This is not her first NFL event. She previously appeared with Britney Spears in 2003 in Washington, D.C.

Then on February 1st, the group RBD will be performing at the Glendale Jobing Arena. The group RBD is a commercial success story. The group, made up of three young women and three young men, was created for a television show called "Rebelde". They became very successful after the show was cancelled in 2006.

There will also be another concert performed by former Fugees, Wyclef Jean and rock group Velvet Revolver. These concerts will be held on February 1st and 2nd at the 944 Super Bowl Village in Old Town Scottsdale.

Source:
Tom Petty to perform at Super Bowl XLII halftime show
http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/story?id=09000d5d804bb825&template=with-video&confirm=true

Maroon 5, Mary J. Blige added to 'Super' week
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/superbowl/ent/articles/1203concert1204-CP.html

Maroon 5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maroon_5

Mary J. Blige
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_J._Blige