Every Thanksgiving, millions of American families sit down to dinner and turn on the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are one of the most popular teams in football, and they’ve played on Thanksgiving Day for decades. This year they host the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on Thursday, November 26.
But a lot of folks tune in for something that happens in the middle of the game.
At halftime, the Cowboys put on a big musical show to kick off the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign. That’s the one with the red buckets and the bell ringers you see outside stores at Christmas, collecting coins for people in need. The halftime show launches the giving season every year, and over 30 years it’s helped raise more than $3.4 billion.
On Sunday, the Cowboys finally announced who’s taking the stage this time.
It’s Miranda Lambert. She’s a three-time Grammy winner from East Texas, so playing in Dallas is about as close to home as it gets for her. She’s been one of country’s biggest names for years, known for her powerhouse voice and songs women everywhere sing right back at her. Her newest album, “Crisco,” came out earlier this month, and she sounded genuinely touched to be asked.
“There’s something special about how music brings people together,” Lambert said.
Charlotte Jones, the Cowboys’ co-owner, put it simply when she talked about why the show matters so much to the team.
“The Red Kettle Kickoff has become one of the Dallas Cowboys’ proudest traditions,” she said.
Here’s the team’s own announcement, with a first look at what’s coming on Thanksgiving.
The Dallas Cowboys reveal this year’s Thanksgiving halftime star
There’s a bit of history here that surprises almost everybody.
This is the 30th year of the tradition, which means somebody had to be first, way back in 1997. And the woman who started it all is a name this crowd knows by heart.
It was Reba McEntire. Reba is the red-headed country queen from Oklahoma who’s been a star since the 1980s, known for huge hits and her own long-running TV show. She stood on that Cowboys stage in 1997 and set the whole thing in motion, and nobody knew it would still be going strong three decades later.
You can watch that very first one for yourself. It’s real footage from 1997, saved by the Salvation Army.
Reba McEntire’s 1997 halftime show, the first one ever
Since then, the list of performers reads like a who’s who of music. Destiny’s Child, LeAnn Rimes, Randy Travis, Kelly Clarkson and Kenny Chesney have all taken a turn. So did Dolly Parton, the beloved songwriter who sadly passed away this year.
This Thanksgiving, it’s Miranda’s turn to carry it forward in her home state. Grab a plate, keep the game on, and watch both shows above to see how far the tradition has come.