Heavy
Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter and star of several Hallmark mystery movies Jewel has been tapped to sing the National Anthem for the 2023 Indianapolis 500.
Jewel Was Chosen to Sing the National Anthem for the Indy 500 Because of Her Mental Health Advocacy Work
Ahead of the weekend racing festivities, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced in a press release that Jewel has been asked to perform the National Anthem for the 2023 “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” the Indy 500. She was chosen due in part to her tireless work as a mental health advocate. She will appear on the pre-race coverage show to talk about her mental health platform Innerworld and her social/emotional learning platform SELLA.
The press release from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway reads:
Jewel, a multi-platinum singer-songwriter, actress, mental health lived experience expert and best-selling author, will perform the national anthem before the start of the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 28 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
As a lived experience expert and pioneer in the mental health space, Jewel is passionate about democratizing wellness. She developed an emotional and mental health curriculum that has been proven to work by experts. For 21 years, her Inspiring Children Foundation and Jewel Inc. have been bringing these mental health programs to at-risk youth and to corporations. She recently joined the innovative mental health platform Innerworld as co-founder and chief strategy officer to make mental health support more accessible to all. Jewel also created SELLA, a language arts curriculum for schools that incorporates social and emotional learning and mental health practices.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a cause and conversation in which the INDYCAR paddock has been an active participant.
“The singing of the national anthem before the Indy 500 green flag is a signature and iconic moment at the Racing Capital of the World,” said IMS President J. Douglas Boles in a statement. “For over a century, we’ve gathered at IMS to salute our nation’s military heroes, and the national anthem performance is a tradition that reminds us all of their sacrifice and bravery. Jewel’s rendition will be a memorable and moving experience for fans at the track and watching from home on NBC.”
Jewel Starred as Shannon Hughes in the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries ‘Fixer Upper Mysteries’ Series
Based on the book series by Kate Carlisle, the “Fixer Upper Mysteries” series starred Jewel as contractor Shannon Hughes and Colin Ferguson as her love interest Macintyre Sullivan. The series aired three films: “Framed for Murder,” “Concrete Evidence” and “Deadly Deed.”
When the first film premiered in 2017, she told People that she is a huge fan of “Murder, She Wrote” and its star Angela Lansbury, so she couldn’t say no to starring as her own TV sleuth.
“I’m a closet binge-watcher of ‘Murder, She Wrote’ — I actually have a T-shirt that says: ‘Angela Lansbury is my spirit animal.’ So I’ve always kind of liked the genre — and I’m a big Angela Lansbury fan clearly,” said the singer.
She added, “I liked this part because she’s a female contractor, so she’s a very empowered, modern woman. Coming from Alaska, where I was raised doing everything for myself — we built fences, we shoot our own horses, we trained our own horses, we worked with cattle, and there weren’t these really strong male-female gender roles where I was raised. So I really was excited that she was a character that had that type of job. And then, on top of it, she’s really a woman who is learning to trust her intuition. Even when the whole world tells her she’s crazy, she’s like: ‘No, something feels wrong, and I’m going to follow that.’ And I just feel like all women can relate to that.”
NBC’s coverage of the 2023 Indianapolis 500 starts on Peacock at 9 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday, May 28, then moves over to NBC at 11 a.m. Eastern. The race itself kicks off at 12:45 p.m. Eastern time ond NBC.