Detroit Icons Eminem & Jack White Share Stage for First Time at Epic Thanksgiving Day Halftime Show

It was no surprise that Jack White performed The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” a sporting anthem, during his halftime set on Thursday (Nov. 27) at the Detroit Lions’ annual Thanksgiving Day Classic at Ford Field.

The real surprise came with a guest appearance by fellow Detroit icon Eminem, who co-executive produced the event alongside his manager, Paul Rosenberg.

The superstar rapper, decked out in a hoodie and custom-made Lions jacket, electrified the sold-out crowd by joining White and his band halfway through their seven-minute set for a mashup of Em’s “Till I Collapse” with the White Stripes’ “Hello Operator,” a pairing that was sandwiched between White’s “That’s How I’m Feeling” and “Seven Nation Army.”

It was a first-ever onstage meeting between the two Detroit music standard bearers. It came in the wake of the White Stripes’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 8, and also coincided with the 10th anniversary of the opening of White’s Third Man Records location in his hometown. Eminem was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2022.

White played a blue guitar for the occasion, while his rhythm section sported Lions attire. “I love you Detroit,” the rocker shouted as the performance came to a feedback-drenched conclusion. More than 400 Lions season ticket holders who volunteered to be part of the show rocked along in front of the stage.

Eminem and White — who each created special limited edition merchandise related to the game and halftime show — were well represented before the performance as well. The Ford Field PA blasted “Seven Nation Army” shortly before the Lions took the field, and White’s “Taking Me Back” during the time-out music in the first quarter. “Till I Collapse” was featured as hype music prior to kickoff.

The show marked the first event in a new three-year partnership between the Detroit Lions, Burbank-based Jesse Collins Entertainment — known for producing previous Super Bowl halftime shows — and Eminem and Paul Rosenberg. Eminem and Rosenberg also collaborated with the Collins organization on the June 2024 concert celebrating the opening of Michigan Central, which also featured a performance by White.

JCE executive VP Seth Dudowsky told Billboard that conversations about Eminem and Rosenberg joining the production team began near the start of the NFL season, and once on board White quickly became a focal point of the Thanksgiving halftime discussion.

“We talked about how do we put on a show that really represents the attributes and values of the city and are true to the Lions and true to what Eminem and Paul had established there,” Dudowsky said. “When you talk about those elements and those values, Jack White was a perfect artist to… represent rock ‘n’ roll and be on that stage and somebody who not only spans Detroit, but anybody who’s been in stadiums and at sports events has heard [‘Seven Nation Army’] at some point.”

The Lions also launched a new initiative with Feeding America with Thursday’s game.

Adding to the day’s hometown flavor was Grammy-winning gospel singer CeCe Winans, a Detroit native who flew in that morning from Nashville to perform the National Anthem.

“It’s an honor,” Winans told Billboard at Ford Field. “I grew up with seven brothers and a dad, so the Lions game was on every year. There were 10 of us so we couldn’t get all those tickets, so we watched on TV. To be able to be here to do the anthem is a lot of fun, and honor and amazing.”

The Lions game against NFC North division rival Green Bay Packers was the first of three NFL Thanksgiving Day games.