Where is Jim Cornelison from? All about national anthem singer following viral performance

American singer Jim Cornelison recently performed The Star-Spangled Banner moments before the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings began their NFL season at Soldier Field.

Cornlesion announced the news of his performance via his X account on September 9, stating:

"I'm headed to Soldier Field tonight to sing the anthem for#MondayNightFootball @ChicagoBears vs @Vikings There’s always some extra energy for MNF. Looking forward to it New season! Go Bears!!!! @NHLBlackhawks @IMS @jdouglas4 @mecum."

His energetic performance of the National Anthem on Monday night brought the crowd to their feet, cheering and whistling. Similarly, Social media users quickly flooded posts of his performance with praise.

10/10 National Anthem. No notes. pic.twitter.com/byEsg27xzE

— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2025

"man, that guy's voice gives me chills every time! nothing like a powerful anthem to kick off a game. let's go, vikings!" one user wrote.

"Dude put every ounce of energy he had into that rendition! Outstanding!" another user said.

"Always epic when Jim Cornelison sings—chills every time," another user stated.

"His performance always elevates the moment and gets fans fully immersed before kickoff," another user shared.

Born on June 20, 1964, in Virginia, Jim Cornelison relocated to Washington at an early age. He is best known for performing the National Anthem at each Chicago Blackhawks game.

In an interview with Blackhawk Up, published in 2009, Jim explained that the moment he sings the National Anthem is so powerful and overwhelming that his emotions sometimes get in the way of delivering a perfectly sung anthem.

"I’m an emotional guy and I have a lot of trouble keeping my feelings in check when the 22,000+ fans start the roar and I’m standing right in the middle of them. I love being a part of that celebration of being American and a Blackhawks fan!" he added.

According to his self-titled website, he has made his living by performing for opera houses around the world and later gained national acclaim by singing anthems for several "teams, companies, and organizations."

How did Jim Cornelison begin singing for the Chicago Blackhawks?

Jim Cornelison pursued music at Yakima Valley Community College and later completed his Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance at Seattle Pacific University. In 1988, he moved to Bloomington, Indiana, to complete his Master's in Opera Performance at Indiana University in 1992. Three years later, in 1995, he moved to Chicago to join the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists, according to his official website.

In the aforementioned interview with Blackhawks Up, Jim Cornelison explained that after moving to Chicago, his friend from grad school, David Honore, who was singing anthems for the Blackhawks at the time, asked him if he wanted to audition to join the rotation of singers used for the anthem.

Jim performed the anthem for the Hawks from 1996 to 2001, returning from 2006 to 2008 "as part of a group of singers selected to participate in this tradition." In 2008, he was invited to become the sole anthem singer starting with the 2008–2009 hockey season.

Since 2017, the 61-year-old has sung Back Home Again in Indiana before the Indianapolis 500, in addition to serving as the anthem singer for the Chicago Bears' season-opening home games since 2010.

Per his website, he lives with his three children in Chicago and is involved in charitable and patriotic causes.