“Tom Cruise doing a crazy stunt while we’re jamming is ridiculous. What a legend”: H.E.R. performs the US national anthem on a gleaming custom Fender Strat – and solos as Tom Cruise abseils into the stadium – at the 2024 Olympics closing ceremony

H.E.R. has some experience in performing at major sporting events, having already played two Super Bowl halftime shows, but when it comes to international stages, they don’t get much bigger than the closing ceremony of the Olympics.

The guitarist and singer-songwriter (aka Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson) came out to perform the Star Spangled Banner, marking the official handover from Paris to LA – as the US city prepares for its 2028 hosting run.

The exchange was marked in typically bombastic Hollywood style. First, LA mayor Karen Bass and Simone Biles (the US’ greatest Olympian) arrived to officially receive the Olympic flag.

Then, with the banner safely transferred, H.E.R. performed the national anthem before Tom Cruise abseiled into the stadium – soundtracked by a H.E.R. guitar solo – to ensure the Olympic banner’s safe transportation to LA via video montage.

Keen-eyed pickers will note that (as we saw with H.E.R.’s previous high-profile guest spots), the guitarist appeared with a specially commissioned custom take on her signature guitar, the Fender H.E.R. signature Stratocaster.

Fender has since issued the details on the instrument, revealing that the model was once again built by one of the firm’s senior Master Builders Brian Thrasher. A frequent H.E.R. collaborator, Thrasher is also well known for his work on Tom DeLonge’s fleet of custom Starcasters.

H.E.R.’s Olympic Strat most obviously stands apart from its production counterpart thanks to the gleaming ‘mirrored gold’ pickguard and hardware. [Would it have been silver if the US hadn’t topped the medal tally? - Ed]

However, the high-performance build departs from the standard spec in several other ways, favoring a modern ‘D’ profile (as opposed to ‘C’), 22 frets and a 10-14” compound radius fingerboard.

Wisely, given the inevitable sweaty palms that might result from performing in front of the known world, H.E.R. kept the neck’s satin finish. Meanwhile, the trio of Ultra Noiseless Vintage single-coil pickups also remain in situ.

After the performance, H.E.R. wrote on Instagram. “I’ve never been so excited and so nervous at the same time. Thank you so much @la28games @olympics @nbcolympics. Can’t believe this really happened. I hoped you enjoyed. Also @tomcruise doing a crazy stunt while we’re jamming is ridiculous. What a legend.”

Elsewhere, the latter stages of the ceremony were peppered with guitarists as the Stateside LA28 section of the performance showcased Red Hot Chili Peppers performing Can’t Stop and Billie Eilish, accompanied by Finneas, playing Birds of a Feather.