Rugged Stuff

Palin Rally Features Lee Greenwood

By R. Keith Rugg, 11-03-08

	Lee Greenwood's new song "USA Today" is available for purchase online.

So I’m sitting at the newspaper in Reno, Nevada, working at the copy desk- whoops, I mean the Information Center (‘cause that sounds cooler to the corporate brass)- and they’re streaming in live video of Governor Sarah Palin’s rally at the convention center.  I would’ve liked to have been there in person, ‘cause whatever side of the fence you come down on, you’ve got to admit that she’s making history.  But right now, newspapering puts more bread on the table that politicking, so there’s that decision made.

So I’m sitting there trying to make the articles, ads and photos fit together on a page, when one of the news editors, who’s watching the feed of the rally, starts squealing.  Really.  Squealing. 

“Is that guy SINGING?” she squeals.

One of the digital desk jockeys tells her, yeah, it’s the second song he’s done there at the rally.

Another squeal.  “Are you serious?  He’s SINGING?”

Normally, this is the point at which I stick the headphones into the jack on the computer and turn on the Eighties Country station on AOL.  But in this particular situation, I kind of felt an obligation to pipe up.

“Yeah, that’s Lee Greenwood,” I called over.  “He’s at the Palin rally today.”

“Oh my gawd, the guy that sings, ‘I Love America,’ or something?”

“Um, yeah, ‘God Bless the USA,’ actually.” Then I started in on just exactly why it wasn’t so strange that Lee Greenwood would be performing at the rally, and on just exactly why local journalists should be more aware of his background… and then I gave up. 

But it is some country music trivia worth knowing.  Since you’re reading a blog about country music, you are probably already aware of Lee Greenwood and his signature song, “God Bless the USA.”

In fact, even if you never tuned in to a country music station in your life, you’re probably aware of the song.  Greenwood’s publicity people claim that “God Bless the USA” has been voted the most recognizable patriotic song in America, taking the top honor over “God Bless America” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” I haven’t seen any data on this, so I’m not prepared to back that claim up, but then again, I’m not going to say that it’s inaccurate, either.

What you might not be aware of, though, is that Greenwood was raised on a farm near Sacramento, Calif., just a hop, skip and a jump over the Sierra range on Interstate 80 from Reno, Nev.  He jumped into music early on, including forming his own band while still in junior high school.  Although he had good opportunities at other life paths, such as a scholarship to the College of the Pacific, and such as a chance to play professional baseball, he instead put his musical career first.  He was so into making music his life that he ditched on his own high school graduation ceremonies in order to play a gig in Reno at the Golden Hotel & Casino (It’s now the Harrah’s in the Biggest Little City...).  He says, “I needed to put my next foot forward.  So I skipped graduation and headed for Nevada.”

In pursuit of a solo career, Lee Greenwood spent several of his early years playing the Las Vegas circuit.  He feels that the time he put in in Las Vegas honed his live performance skills and developed his craft as a songwriter.  Greenwood was eventually ‘discovered’ and delivered to MCA Nashville by country music’s Larry McFaden, where he worked with Jerry Crutchfield for his debut country album Inside Out, but he credits his experience in Nevada with helping him learn how to connect with an audience, among other things.

And THAT’S why I think it’s a shame when Nevadans- Northern Nevadans in particular- aren’t aware of Greenwood’s roots.  And that’s another reason I wish I would’ve been able to attend the rally. 

And fyi, if you want to see him perform, he plays pretty regularly at Pigeon Forge, Tenn.’s Smith Family Theater.  He’s also got a Las Vegas date booked before the end of the year, and he’ll also be making several appearances with Sean Hannity’s Freedom Concert tour in August of 2009.

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