Recording artist and Battle Creek native Tauren Wells will be performing his version of the star-spangled banner Thursday to kick off Thanksgiving Day football festivities. As a long-time Lions fan he says this may be the apex of his career and jokingly brought up retirement.

The Buffalo Bills are coming to Ford Field for the second time in just four days as they will take on the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving day. They will be the first of three NFL games on the holiday as kickoff is at 12:30 on CBS. The Lions are chasing a four-game win streak and a win on Thanksgiving Day, they haven't achieved either of these goals since 2016.

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The platinum recording artist Wells has memories of watching the Lions with family in Union City for years growing up before watching Lions games alone after moving to Texas. Many of his family members will be in attendance alongside the singer as he delivers the national anthem on the special part of the holiday for Michiganders.

Tauren Wells is no stranger to being asked to sing the star-spangled banner or other acts on the biggest stages. He sang the national anthem at one of the ALCS playoff games for the Houston Astros and was a part of the Macy's Day Parade where he sang his version of Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.

He says none of those can compare to how he feels about the opportunity to sing during the Thanksgiving Day Classic for the Detroit Lions, he went as far as to say the game is sacred. He's also excited to be performing a gig as big as this one so close to his hometown.

Penniman Castle in Battle Creek

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