Lee Greenwood says when he wrote “God Bless, the USA,” in 1983, it was out of his love for the country but also drew inspiration from those nearest and dearest to him.
“If tomorrow all the things were gone, I’d work from my life. That was about my grandparents who lost their farm to sharecropping,” he said. “And when I said, I won’t forget the man who died, it was about my father serving in the Navy right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor for four years.”
Passion for Music Since Early Childhood
The country music singer’s passion for music started at a young age, learning piano at just seven years old and eventually mastering most instruments in the orchestra.
After high school, he passed on college scholarships to pursue his dreams in music. He’d go on to record five albums and 11 number one country hits by the time he wrote “God Bless, the USA,” arguably his most famous hit to date and now an anthem for American patriotism.
“The attack on America on 9-11, where ‘God Bless the USA’ became the anthem for America for the next three years, number one on all charts and all music. Just let me believe that this country is not as divided as we think,” said Greenwood. “It just takes some kind of outside pressure to pull us together.”
Concert in Naperville
The Grammy award-winning and multi-platinum recording artist is coming to Naperville for a one-night only concert on Friday, May 19 on the campus of North Central College as part of his American Spirit Tour.
I love college campuses. I love young kids,” said Greenwood. “I love the energy that they give and in the pursuit of American freedom.”
This won’t be his first time in Naperville, as Greenwood has performed at the Exchange Club of Naperville’s Ribfest.
“We were touring really heavily and of course that’s when we were playing Ribfest. It’s an exciting group of people. We love Chicago. I’ve been there many times. I did all my recordings there and I have a son who lives there,” he said. “So when they told me, you can work Naperville again, I said, ‘Absolutely, let’s go.’”
The 81 year-old singer-songwriter still loves to perform country music, a genre he says is making a major comeback.
“It will continue to grow because it’s the kind of music that feels good,” Greenwood said. “When you bring country to bear, it tells life stories, real stories and embraces family.”
