American musician and singer-songwriter Phillip Phillips will perform “God Bless America” during pre-race ceremonies for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26.
“The performance of ‘God Bless America,’ on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, is one of the most important tributes to our country and is an often-heard tradition of the pre-race ceremonies,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “Adding Phillip and his voice to the pre-race festivities will round out his weekend of participating in the ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ after having been in the 500 Festival parade and performing at The Vogue the night before the race.”
A former “American Idol” winner, Phillips is best known for his melodic radio hit, “Home,” which launched him to fame in 2012 and marked the most successful coronation hit of any “American Idol” winner to date. Shortly after “Home” climbed the charts, Phillips released his first full length album, “The World From The Side Of The Moon,” followed by “Behind The Light” and brought together by his third release, “Collateral.”
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Phillips, like many others, had to take a hard look at his life and career. After welcoming his son, Patch, in 2019, he found a new inspiration for writing music. Four years after his last release, Phillips brought us “Love Like That,” a song dedicated to the unconditional love he has for his wife and child. As he reintroduced himself to the world with his latest single, Phillips hopes to reconnect with his fanbase and get back on tour.
Phillips also will perform as part of the opening production of the 2024 AES 500 Festival Parade on Saturday, May 25 in downtown Indianapolis. Performing on stage to his music will be the Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders and the Indiana Pacemates. Following the parade, Phillips has a show at The Vogue Theatre in Indianapolis presented by the 500 Festival and Forty5 on Saturday, May 25. Doors open at 8 p.m., and ticket information is available at thevogue.com.
“We are so excited to feature Phillip Phillips’ talent and energy at the opening of the AES 500 Festival Parade,” 500 Festival President & CEO Bob Bryant said. “The partnership with The Vogue and Forty5 to enhance the parade production and provide for an encore performance with a full concert later that night is a meaningful addition to the Month of May. We look forward to showing Phillip the full scale of Hoosier Hospitality in May as he rides the parade route along with the 33 starting drivers in the Indy 500.”
Live coverage of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge pre-race starts at 11 a.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Visit ims.com to purchase tickets for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26 and for more information on the complete Month of May schedule at IMS.