NEW YORK – Carrie Underwood will take over the theme song for “Sunday Night Football,” with NBC sticking to the formula of a female country music star for its intro.

Underwood steps in for Faith Hill, who announced last month that she would not be back for a seventh season. Underwood will sing a new version of “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night,” the network said Tuesday.

Producer Fred Gaudelli said that after Hill informed him in February, Underwood was the only performer he pursued. She was under consideration for the role when NBC first broadcast the Sunday night NFL games in 2006.

Pink sang the opening tune, set to Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” for that first season before Hill came on.

“For me, it just always seemed like something that would be fun to do,” Underwood said during a conference call. “To watch Faith do it week after week, to see that hype for the game, it’s something that’s so cool.”

A former “American Idol” champion and six-time Grammy winner, Underwood is married to hockey star Mike Fisher of the Nashville Predators. The 30-year-old Oklahoma native sang the national anthem at the 2010 Super Bowl.

Advertisement

Cameras capture Bieber satisfying need for speed

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Justin Bieber is accustomed to fans snapping his photo. Dubai police say he also triggered some speed cameras while driving a white Lamborghini during his stop in the city.

Dubai newspapers on Tuesday quoted an unidentified police official as saying the megastar racked up a “number” of speeding fines before being pulled over. Bieber’s representatives didn’t return calls for comment.

It wasn’t the only incident for Bieber in Dubai. He was jostled onstage Sunday as security guards tackled a fan who climbed out of the crowd during his second and final Dubai performance.

 


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.