"Up with People never claimed to be rock stars. Or professionals. It was a song-and-dance ensemble made up mostly of college students that traveled the world promoting multiculturalism and positivity. There were about 600 of them in the Superdome in New Orleans that night at Super Bowl XX. The NFL spent $1 million for the first time on the 1986 show, called "Beat of the Future," which included a futuristic floating city and planets hovering overhead."
"A planet caught fire the night before and the city never really materialized because of technical difficulties. Still, the group managed an enthusiastic 12-minute pitch for love, acceptance and worldwide harmony. Jim Steeg, a longtime NFL exec who was in charge of halftime entertainment from 1979 to 2005, remembers making his way up to commissioner Pete Rozelle's box after the performance. "He turned to me," Steeg says of Rozelle, "and said, 'Never f---ing again.'""
Up with People performed the Super Bowl XX halftime show in New Orleans with about 600 mostly college-student participants presenting a high-energy, optimistic song-and-dance spectacle. The NFL invested $1 million in a show titled "Beat of the Future," featuring a futuristic floating city and planets suspended overhead. Technical difficulties marred the presentation; a planet caught fire the night before and the floating city failed to materialize, yet the ensemble delivered an enthusiastic 12-minute pitch for love, acceptance and worldwide harmony. NFL halftime coordinator Jim Steeg recalls Commissioner Pete Rozelle reacting angrily after the performance. Bad Bunny will headline Super Bowl LX halftime.
Read at ESPN.com
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