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Video: Kathie Lee Gifford Tells Hilariously Unfortunate Story of 1995 Super Bowl Performance to Kelly Clarkson

Kathie Lee Gifford joins the Kelly Clarkson Show and hilariously recalls her makeup malfunction prior to her 1995 Super Bowl National Anthem Performance.

On Monday, singer and TV personality Kathie Lee Gifford virtually joined the Kelly Clarkson Show. She retells her traumatic Super Bowl Performance. Fellow artist Barry Manilow gave Gifford some last-minute advice.

“I was asked to sing the National Anthem, which, you know, is a huge honor, and yet at the same time, it’s terrifying. There are– I mean, that goes worldwide, and you don’t even want to– Barry Manilow had said to me right before I did it– he did it the year before, and Barry’s been a great friend through all these years. He said, ‘Kathy, no matter what you do, do not look up at the scoreboard and look at how many people are going to be watching. Don’t do it.’”

Kathie Lee Gifford Makeup Malfunction

The 67-year-old singer then remembers her unfortunate makeup malfunction.

“Yeah, well, I’ll tell you the story. It was, you know, we have something called final looks in our business, which is when we’re ready to go, hair, makeup. Get over there. Do whatever final touches you’re going to do because we’re ready. So my hairdresser, by mistake, does hairspray on me and goes in my right eye. Boom! Right in my right eye, and I’m going blind from that.”

But the injuries didn’t stop there. Right before walking on stage, Kathie Lee Gifford sustains another mishap that leaves her temporarily blind.

“Then my makeup artist is working on me on the other side, and she has a mascara wand and boom, right into my left eye. I’m walking that way. They had to lead me. They don’t wait for you at the Super Bowl.”

Finally, Gifford is guided onstage and remembers singing the ironic words to the Star-Spangled Banner.

“They’re leading me out, and I can hear everybody scream, and I can hear all this noise, and I’m going ‘Oh Jesus, help me. Jesus help me.’ I get there, and then, of course, the orchestration starts the band. You can hear the orchestra, full orchestra, and it’s time for me to sing. Of all the lyrics, ‘Oh say can you…see,’ and I’m going no, I can’t see!”