While the rest of America stocks up on hot dogs and hamburgers in the days ahead of Independence Day, Lee Greenwood is prepping for his busy season.
The singer-songwriter will celebrate the 40th anniversary of his iconic anthem “God Bless the USA” – a love letter to the country – and at 81 years old, he has no plans to slow down.
“We always joked, if I’m not singing somewhere on the Fourth of July, you might as well take the flag down,” Greenwood told The Post from a recording studio in Nashville ahead of his summer tour.
Greenwood wrote his now-ubiquitous tearjerker – considered “the most recognized patriotic anthem in America,” with lyrics that include, “And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free” – after “feeling inspired” on the back of a tour bus some 40 years ago.
But he never thought it would take off the way it has.
He’s earned the admiration of millions of Americans for the heart-rending tune, which he sang in front of then-President Ronald Reagan at the 1984 Republican National Convention.
But there’s perhaps one person who loves the song more than anyone else — Donald Trump.
There isn’t a rally the former president holds that doesn’t include the country music star’s signature song with an irrepressible twang.
Greenwood has performed the soulful hit at Trump rallies over the years, like the Chattanooga campaign event in November 2018, where the crooner saluted the then-president.
And the president has returned the love in spades: “Who doesn’t love his song, ‘God bless the USA?’”
Being so intertwined with Trump rallies is something of a badge of honor for the “proud Christian.”
“I feel good about it because I truly like President Trump – he’s an American patriot,” Greenwood said.
Trump promoted the “God Bless the USA” bible based on the song earlier this year, much to Greenwood’s delight.
“I love that he showed his faith to the country – that was fantastic,” said Greenwood. “He’s someone who will take care of our country – I’m just hoping he’ll be elected again.”
The Trump campaign called Greenwood’s song “iconic.”
“Now, more than ever, as Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrats seek to destroy this country, we proudly heed the words of the song to never forget the men who died for our freedoms and proudly stand and defend our flag. God bless the USA!” said Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
A pathway to politics
Greenwood, who’s been honored with a Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s National Patriot’s Award, has come a long way from growing up in California indifferent to politics with a World War II veteran dad and jazz-singing mom.
His first real brush with politics was as a teen when then-Vice President Nixon visited Greenwood’s Sacramento high school, where he was in the marching band.
“I was the first person he greeted when he got off the plane,” said Greenwood, recalling being nonplussed at the time, but later going on to vote for the Republican for president. “I almost ignored politics at that age.”
It wasn’t until later in life when Greenwood started to pay attention.
He left school at 16 for the “green-felt jungle” of Las Vegas dealing cards, where he spent 20 years.
In his late 30s and with five albums under his belt, Greenwood said he was sitting in the back of his tour bus “somewhere between Tennessee and Texas” when inspiration struck.
After a show, Greenwood took photos with a military color guard and discussed multi-generation military families.
“I was just inspired by it,” said Greenwood, who would see it climb to the No. 7 spot on Billboard magazine’s Hot Country Singles chart in 1984.
Writing a song to unite and inspire Americans, reminding them about the greatness of this country, was always in the back of the songwriter’s mind.
“It was something I wanted to do my whole life anyway,” said Greenwood, who had recently signed with MCA Records at the time. “But I never intended ‘God bless the USA’ to be a hit.”
Indeed, the song was never scheduled for a release as a single – until the entire album was played for Irving Azoff, then head of MCA.
“If he hadn’t made the call to release the single of the song, nobody would have heard of it – I guarantee you,” said Greenwood, who would go on to become a country music five-time male vocalist of the year.
“It changed my life.”
It also changed the life of a nation in need of healing – in the aftermath of the Gulf War and the national trauma of 9/11, when Greenwood was invited to the Big Apple to sing at Game 4 of the 2001 World Series and at the firemen’s memorial at Yankee Stadium.
‘It still gets me’
Even though he’s performed his iconic hit “thousands of times, at least” over four decades, Greenwood admitted he still gets choked up when he belts out lyrics including, “Cause the flag still stands for freedom, and they can’t take that away.”
“It still gets me,” he said, especially when he meets Gold Star families and learns about a loved one killed fighting for our country. “That will tear me up. I absolutely still get emotional about it.”
And he’ll do it again this Independence Day, saluting country through song in Albany, Oregon, a rite of passage that he’s enjoyed for decades.
“I have more red, white and blue clothing than probably anybody on the planet,” said Greenwood, who’s married to former Miss Tennessee Kimberly Payne, and has two sons, 24 and 29.
But as much as his hit song may be synonymous with Trump, he doesn’t want it used “as a weapon.”
“I don’t want to be used politically just because I’m an artist who believes in my country,” said Greenwood.
“When I do ads for Donald Trump, that’s different. But not at my shows. I’m an entertainer – I like to make people happy,” which – much like Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” before him – is why he “absolutely” closes his shows with his soaring song.
“I’m ever optimistic that we will endure, even with the changing environment around the world,” he said. “Democracy has a chance to survive because we can elect new people.”
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