Millions of people tune in each year to watch the Super Bowl halftime show, and after Rihanna’s performance last year, the bar for 2024 was set extremely high. This year, the scheduled act for the halftime was famed R&B and pop artist Usher, and much excitement was generated for his performance. But all the anticipation dissipated when 79-year-old theatre usher Mildred Morton walked up on the stage after the first half of the game.
In an interview with The Boundary after her performance, Morton addressed the mix-up. “Around a month ago, they gave me a ring, saying they wanted an usher, and who was I to turn down the money? Ushering for theatres doesn’t pay too great, you know.” The NFL has since issued an apology for their booking mistake but justified that it was the best-organized Super Bowl of all time.
The NFL is apparently not the first to make this error. “This mix-up actually happens more than you think,” Morton reported. “Last fall, I had a gig at Coachella. A nice young lady gave me some ecstasy.” Morton has performed at 18 venues over the course of Usher’s career. Despite the misunderstanding, audience members claimed that this halftime show was still better than Maroon 5’s.