Singing the national anthem AND attending her first Kansas City Chiefs game is a dream come true for singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge.
At least that's what her Twitter would suggest.
"It goes really deep because I was born and raised in Leavenworth, Kansas," Etheridge said. "My father was a huge Chiefs fan and I don't even remember learning about them, I just always knew about football and the Chiefs."
And that's just how Kansas City has always supported its sport teams.
"When you grow up with that, it's a wonderful thing. It's a real great community feel," Etheridge said.
Besides singing the national anthem, it's that feeling that has cemented Etheridge's favorite Chief memory.
It was in 1970 when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl.
"Our whole town in Leavenworth, which is miles from here [Kansas City], erupted," Etheridge said. "I've never been in a place where the community has their mind on one thing and all celebrating at once, and that memory it just clicks it right in for you— you never stop being a fan after that."
And the Crucial Catch game is just another reason for the entire community to come together Sunday.
Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer and battling it this time 13 years ago.
"This was in October of 2004 and it was when Brett Favre's wife was going through it at the same time I was," Etheridge explained. "He had shaved his head and it meant so much to me, as a woman who was going through treatment and fighting it, that there was an acknowledgment because back then we didn't talk about cancer at all."
"To be able to be here and be part of a cancer awareness thing, Crucial Catch, which is a great organization, it just makes it all so much better," Etheridge added.
What else makes it better? Being surrounded by the characters of the Chiefs team—queue up, ", I Love you."
"I love the characters we have," Etheridge laughed. "Travis Kelce is a bad boy. You're always like don't get a foul, don't do it. Alex Smith is like the sexy, smart guy and then you've got Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt is like the new kid on the block and then you get Albert Wilson, you've got so many things. They're all my favorite."
But there's one player who isn't on the roster anymore that Etheridge can't stop talking about.
"Lenny Dawson, they say he's here and I'll probably cry if I meet him," Etheridge laughed.
Welcome to Arrowhead Stadium, Etheridge.
