Lee Greenwood
Encyclopedia
Melvin Lee Greenwood is an American country music
artist. Active since the early 1980s, he has released more than twenty major-label albums and has charted more than 35 singles on the Billboard
country music charts.
Greenwood is best known for his single "God Bless the USA
", which was popular when it was originally released in 1984, and became popular again after the 9/11 attacks (becoming his highest charting pop hit, reaching No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100
). He also has charted seven No. 1 hits in his career: "Somebody's Gonna Love You
", "Going, Going, Gone
", "Dixie Road
", "I Don't Mind the Thorns (If You're the Rose)
", "Don't Underestimate My Love For You
", "Hearts Aren't Made to Break (They're Made to Love)
", and "Mornin' Ride
". His 1983 single "I.O.U." was also a top five hit on the adult contemporary charts, and a No. 53 on the Hot 100.
. After the separation of his parents, he grew up near Sacramento
on the poultry
farm of his maternal grandparents. At the age of seven, he began playing the piano
and the saxophone
, and at the age of nine became a member of a dance ensemble. In 1969, he joined the Chester Smith Band and had his first television
appearance. A short time later, he worked with the country musician Del Reeves
.
He founded his first band, The Apollos, in 1962. The band, which changed its name later to Lee Greenwood Affair, played mostly pop music
and appeared mostly in casino
s in Las Vegas
. A few records were recorded in Los Angeles
with the Paramount
label. After the band broke up in the 1970s, Greenwood moved back to Las Vegas, where he worked as a blackjack
dealer during the day, and as a singer at night.
by Larry McFaden, the bandleader
and bassist
of Mel Tillis
. After making some demo tapes, Greenwood was signed in 1981 by the Nashville
division of the MCA
label (who had recently absorbed the Paramount label), and McFaden became his manager.
The first single, "It Turns Me Inside Out", made it to a spot in the top 20 of the country charts. The song had been written for Kenny Rogers
, but Rogers turned it down due to the sheer volume of songs he had been offered at the time. "Ring On Her Finger, Time on Her Hands" landed him in the country top 10. Each song was marketed heavily, particularly in the South Florida market by MCA
Account Service Rep, Brad Fitzgerald, among others. Lee Greenwood did not write Inside Out. It was written by Jan Crutchfield.
He is best known for writing and recording the patriotic song "God Bless the USA
" in the early 1980s. In 1995, he was featured with the song in the Warren Chaney
docudrama
, America: A Call to Greatness
. "God Bless the USA" gained renewed popularity following the launch of Operation: Desert Storm in 1991, and again, ten years later, following the September 11, 2001 attacks; in fact, the song even re-entered the Top 20 of the country charts in late 2001. Since then, Greenwood has played at many public events and commemorations of the attacks.
.
In November 2008, President George W. Bush
appointed Greenwood to a six-year term to the National Council on the Arts.
, and in April 1996, the "Lee Greenwood Theater" opened its doors. This gave Greenwood the opportunity to still perform daily shows, in addition to being with his family. The theater operated for five seasons, and closed for Greenwood to continue touring. The theater was not located in the heavily entertainment and tourist oriented areas of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
and Gatlinburg, Tennessee
which contributed to the theater closing. The former theater building is now host to a church.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist. Active since the early 1980s, he has released more than twenty major-label albums and has charted more than 35 singles on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country music charts.
Greenwood is best known for his single "God Bless the USA
God Bless the USA
"God Bless the USA" is an American patriotic song written and recorded by country musician Lee Greenwood. The first Greenwood album it appears on is 1984's You've Got a Good Love Comin'. It reached No...
", which was popular when it was originally released in 1984, and became popular again after the 9/11 attacks (becoming his highest charting pop hit, reaching No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
). He also has charted seven No. 1 hits in his career: "Somebody's Gonna Love You
Somebody's Gonna Love You
"Somebody's Gonna Love You" is a 1983 single written by Rafe VanHoy and Don Cook and recorded by Lee Greenwood. "Somebody's Gonna Love You" was Lee Greenwood's sixth country hit and the first of his seven number ones on the country chart. The single went to number one for week and spent a total...
", "Going, Going, Gone
Going, Going, Gone (Lee Greenwood song)
"Going, Going, Gone" is a 1984 single written by Jan Crutchfield and performed by Lee Greenwood. "Going, Going, Gone" was Lee Greenwood's second number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent twelve weeks on the country chart.-Chart performance:...
", "Dixie Road
Dixie Road (song)
"Dixie Road" is a 1985 single written by Don Goodman, Pam Rose, and Mary Ann Kennedy and recorded by Lee Greenwood. "Dixie Road" was Lee Greenwood's third number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fourteen weeks on the country chart.-Chart...
", "I Don't Mind the Thorns (If You're the Rose)
I Don't Mind the Thorns (If You're the Rose)
"I Don't Mind the Thorns " is the title of a song written by Jan Buckingham and Linda Young and recorded by American country music artist Lee Greenwood. It was released in July 1985 as the lead single from the album Streamline. The song was Lee Grenwood's fourth number one on the country chart...
", "Don't Underestimate My Love For You
Don't Underestimate My Love For You
"Don't Underestimate My Love for You" is a 1985 single written by Dave Loggins, Steve Dorff, and Steve Diamond and recorded by Lee Greenwood. Greenwood's fifth number one country single in the United States, it spent one week at the top of the Billboard country chart in March 1986 and twelve weeks...
", "Hearts Aren't Made to Break (They're Made to Love)
Hearts Aren't Made to Break (They're Made to Love)
"Hearts Aren't Made to Break " is a 1986 single written by Roger Murrah and Steve Dean and recorded by Lee Greenwood. "Hearts Aren't Made to Break " was Lee Greenwood's sixth number one on the country chart. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fourteen weeks on the...
", and "Mornin' Ride
Mornin' Ride
"Mornin' Ride" is a 1986 song written by Steve Bogard and Jeff Tweel and recorded by Lee Greenwood. "Mornin' Ride" was Lee Greenwood's seventh number one country single. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the country chart .-Chart performance:...
". His 1983 single "I.O.U." was also a top five hit on the adult contemporary charts, and a No. 53 on the Hot 100.
Early life
Greenwood was born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. After the separation of his parents, he grew up near Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
on the poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
farm of his maternal grandparents. At the age of seven, he began playing the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, and at the age of nine became a member of a dance ensemble. In 1969, he joined the Chester Smith Band and had his first television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
appearance. A short time later, he worked with the country musician Del Reeves
Del Reeves
Franklin Delano Reeves , better known as Del Reeves, was an American country music singer, best known for his "girl-watching" novelty songs of the 1960s including "Girl on the Billboard" and "The Belles of Southern Bell"...
.
He founded his first band, The Apollos, in 1962. The band, which changed its name later to Lee Greenwood Affair, played mostly pop music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
and appeared mostly in casino
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
s in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. A few records were recorded in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
with the Paramount
Paramount Records (1969)
Paramount Records was a record label started in 1969 by Paramount Pictures after acquiring the rights to the name from George H. Buck. The previous label with the same name had been unconnected to Paramount Pictures. The new Paramount label reissued pop releases by sister label Dot Records, which...
label. After the band broke up in the 1970s, Greenwood moved back to Las Vegas, where he worked as a blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
dealer during the day, and as a singer at night.
Career
In 1979, he was discovered in Reno, NevadaReno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
by Larry McFaden, the bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
of Mel Tillis
Mel Tillis
Lonnie Melvin Tillis , known professionally as Mel Tillis, is an American country music singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits....
. After making some demo tapes, Greenwood was signed in 1981 by the Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
division of the MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
label (who had recently absorbed the Paramount label), and McFaden became his manager.
The first single, "It Turns Me Inside Out", made it to a spot in the top 20 of the country charts. The song had been written for Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, but Rogers turned it down due to the sheer volume of songs he had been offered at the time. "Ring On Her Finger, Time on Her Hands" landed him in the country top 10. Each song was marketed heavily, particularly in the South Florida market by MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
Account Service Rep, Brad Fitzgerald, among others. Lee Greenwood did not write Inside Out. It was written by Jan Crutchfield.
He is best known for writing and recording the patriotic song "God Bless the USA
God Bless the USA
"God Bless the USA" is an American patriotic song written and recorded by country musician Lee Greenwood. The first Greenwood album it appears on is 1984's You've Got a Good Love Comin'. It reached No...
" in the early 1980s. In 1995, he was featured with the song in the Warren Chaney
Warren Chaney
Warren Herbert Chaney, Ph.D. is an American executive, author, filmmaker, behavioral scientist, entertainer, businessman and a pioneer in early television. In a career spanning four decades, Chaney wrote fifteen books, fourteen screenplays, and seventy-eight professional and nonprofessional...
docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
, America: A Call to Greatness
America: A Call to Greatness
America: A Call to Greatness is a 1995 docudrama feature from Paige-Brace Cinema, chronicling United States history from its inception through the 20th century. It stars Charlton Heston, Mickey Rooney, Deborah Winters, Peter Graves, Jane Russell, and Rita Moreno among others and was written,...
. "God Bless the USA" gained renewed popularity following the launch of Operation: Desert Storm in 1991, and again, ten years later, following the September 11, 2001 attacks; in fact, the song even re-entered the Top 20 of the country charts in late 2001. Since then, Greenwood has played at many public events and commemorations of the attacks.
Political views and advocacy
He supports the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
In November 2008, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
appointed Greenwood to a six-year term to the National Council on the Arts.
Theater
In 1995, Greenwood took a break from his touring schedule to spend time with his wife and newborn son. In his time off, he elected to build a theater in Sevierville, TennesseeSevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville is a city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. Its population was 11,757 at the 2000 United States Census; in 2004 the estimated population was 14,101. Sevierville is the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee....
, and in April 1996, the "Lee Greenwood Theater" opened its doors. This gave Greenwood the opportunity to still perform daily shows, in addition to being with his family. The theater operated for five seasons, and closed for Greenwood to continue touring. The theater was not located in the heavily entertainment and tourist oriented areas of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,875....
and Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, Gatlinburg had a population of 3,828. The city is a popular vacation resort, as it rests on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along U.S...
which contributed to the theater closing. The former theater building is now host to a church.