Music / Sports
Karen Newman
· singer
Singer known as “the voice” of the Detroit Red Wings for more than 30 years of national anthems, and for the local holiday favorite “Christmas Eve on Woodward Avenue.”
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Karen Newman grew up in Rochester and Grand Blanc, Michigan, graduated from Grand Blanc High School in 1978 and studied music at Oakland University. For more than three decades she has sung the national anthem before Detroit Red Wings home games, first at Joe Louis Arena and since 2017 at Little Caesars Arena, becoming as much a part of a Wings night as the octopus on the ice. Her single “Christmas Eve on Woodward Avenue,” a tribute to Detroit, has become a seasonal staple on local radio and a regular part of America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and it launched her annual Christmas concerts. She is also active with children's and animal charities in Michigan and lives in the Detroit suburbs.
Highlights
- National anthem singer for the Red Wings for more than 30 years
- Performed at Joe Louis Arena and Little Caesars Arena
- Holiday single “Christmas Eve on Woodward Avenue”
- Studied music at Oakland University
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 3
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Performed here · 1990s–2017
Joe Louis Arena
Demolished · 1979–2017
The Red Wings' riverfront arena, where she sang the anthem for decades; it closed in 2017 and was demolished in 2019–2020.
Performed here · 2017–present
Little Caesars Arena
The Red Wings' home since 2017, where she continues to sing the anthem.
Studied here · late 1970s
Oakland University
She studied music here.