Lee Greenwood, the singer of the iconic song “God Bless The USA,” has been a celebrity for decades, but he never had any intention of raising his children in Hollywood. In a new interview, Greenwood is crediting raising his family far away from Hollywood with keeping them so close to one another.
“I’m not over 9/11 yet.” I wrote these words in my book, “Does God Still Bless The USA” just a few years after the attack on America. 22 years later and I’m still not over 9/11.
May God Bless the USA on 9/11 and always. #NeverForget #neverforget911 pic.twitter.com/f7tFHjedeq
— Lee Greenwood (@TheLeeGreenwood) September 11, 2023
Greenwood Keeps Family Away From Hollywood
When you talk about Hollywood stardom, actors really are acting scripts for someone else, and although they are revered by the public for the roles that they have, the luster of Hollywood kind of rubs off when you get outside of that area,” Greenwood, 80, told Fox News. “I have been blessed to be able to be raised on a farm where real values count.”
“And even after spending 20 years in Nevada, and now 40 years in Tennessee, I am surrounded by people with real values. I think that has helped us as a family,” he continued. “And, of course, I have to give my wife so much more credit than me because she’s always been the one steadfast and keeps us morally on the correct path and a good moral compass.”
Greenwood shares two sons with his beloved wife Kimberly Payne, who he’s been married to for over thirty years. Greenwood said that raising his sons away from the spotlight has allowed them to “have respect for our careers and respect for themselves, and that has helped us bond as a family.”
“… Cause the flag still stands for freedom
And they can’t take that away…” Lee Greenwood pic.twitter.com/cVds1KMiNN
— Ivan_Yanev (@yanev_ivan) September 12, 2023
Related: Exclusive: Lee Greenwood on Why He Couldn’t Say ‘No’ to Performing at Trump’s Inauguration
Greenwood Receives Charlie Daniels Patriot Award
Greenwood’s sons recently told him how proud they are of him after he was given the Charlie Daniels Patriot Award.
“That’s very flattering for them to say that, and we are very close,” he said. “I can talk man to man to both of our sons, who are now 28 and 25. But for them to say that I deserve it is such an honor for me to receive that kind of dialog from our two sons. And it means a great deal to me.”
Greenwood was close friends with Charlie Daniels before he tragically died in 2020 at the age of 83.
“We’ve known each other an awful long time,” he said of Daniels. “I consider him a very close friend before he passed on. When he would give me a hug, he’d give me a serious bear hug. And you’d never forget that (he) treated me with great respect.”
Lee Greenwood will be one of our 2023 recipients of The Charlie Daniels Patriot Awards this year!! pic.twitter.com/sBL8fLKSts
— Tuffy the cow dog (Corlew) (@ATuffLife) July 30, 2023
Related: Hollywood Star Chris Pratt Pays Powerful Tribute To Innocent Lives Lost On 9/11
Daniels Battles Cancel Culture
Greenwood has had to battle cancel culture many times throughout his career, but he’s never let it destroy him.
“I think you have to examine the lyrics of my song, ‘God Bless the USA,’ which is a catalyst for people who consider me on one side of the fence or the other. My song represents all Americans,” he explained. “Incidentally, I am a conservative Christian. However, when you talk about the presidents that I have sang for, which are on both sides of the aisle and more than 10 — two times for five different presidents in my presence — I think that the honor that I receive from just being a songwriter is really high cotton.”
“I’m just a farmer from Sacramento who got lucky, and I consider my art important to me,” he added. “So, to write a song that has moved the nation and also has uplifted the nation after a terrorist attack of 2001 is a great compliment, but it’s a great honor for me.”
Football is back!! Who are you cheering for today?? #football pic.twitter.com/NWbbCkRUwo
— Lee Greenwood (@TheLeeGreenwood) September 10, 2023
Greenwood feels that it is “not right” and “not fair” that other artists are cancelled for expressing rightwing beliefs.
“To a point, everyone is allowed to express their own opinion, and as an artist, I know that we do represent the culture with the music that we create,” he said. “But you can’t blame an artist for singing a song or writing a song that expresses a feeling of the fans that they sing for. And if the multitude of fans all agree that that song represents them, then the freedom of expression should be allowed by that artist and not attacked.”
Greenwood is one of the few celebrities around today who is actually a patriotic America. God bless him for keeping his family so grounded by raising them far away from the liberal world of Hollywood!
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