Jennifer Hudson kicked off Super Bowl 47 on Sunday with a moving performance accompanied by those affected by the Sandy Hook shooting that took place last year. 

Millions of viewers who watched the big game saw the Sandy Hook Elementary School Choir calmly walk out onto the field and sing "America the Beautiful." While it was a quiet, simple performance of the song, the children served as a powerful reminder for the tragedy that occurred in December 2012 at the school in Newtown, Conn., where 20 children, between the ages of 5 and 10, were shot and killed by a gunman who forced his way into the elementary school.

Oscar-winner Hudson walked out and sang alongside the school choir.

"I couldn't get through the song because it was so overwhelming," she said during an interview with TODAY show co-host Willie Geist. "I got to meet them (at rehearsal) and we went over the song. Before we went out I hugged each and every one of them, and then we prayed a little bit, and then we got out there."

Hudson's emotionally stirring performance drew from her gospel roots, and what happened at the Sandy Hook Elementary School is a subject that's not unfamiliar to Hudson. Her brother-in-law, William Balfour, was given three life sentences in July  2012 for the 2008 murders of her mother Darnell Donerson, her brother Jason, and her 7-year-old nephew Julian King, the later of which was found dead in an SUV several days later.

"There were so many shocks involved in it," said Hudson about the family loss. "Like, who do I grieve for first? Or, who do I start with? It's bits and pieces. It's too much. You're confused. Your emotions are confused."

The performance on Sunday also served as a reminder for the ongoing debate over gun control in the United States.

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