Pictured L-R: Dan Rogers, Vice President and Executive Producer of the Grand Ole Opry, Kim Greenwood, Lee Greenwood, Dustin Lynch (Photo by Jeremy Westby / 2911 Media)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – What do you give a Grammy award winner with 7 #1 monster hits, named by Billboard magazine as one of the top 100 artists of all time, for his 80th birthday? Recently, Vice President and Executive Producer of the Grand Ole Opry Dan Rogers, along with Ryman Hospitality Properties CEO Colin Reed and country crooner Dustin Lynch, surprised music icon Lee Greenwood with an award acknowledging Greenwood’s astonishing achievement of 25 million worldwide music sales.
“That’s unbelievable!” the writer and hitmaker of ‘God Bless The USA’ gushed. “I knew playing the Grand Ole Opry was going to be a birthday week highlight, but then to discover my recordings have surpassed 25 million sales worldwide—well, that has to be one of the greatest birthday gifts of all time; and yet, I wasn’t at the Opry to receive gifts, I was there to entertain and give gifts.”
In what can only be described as a night filled with emotion, Greenwood, an American patriot and national ambassador for the wounded warrior support organization Helping A Hero, partnered with Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, and gave away specially-adapted homes to six wounded veterans and their families from the heart of the Grand Ole Opry stage.
“Our military families put their lives on the line for this country. These new homes are designed to make what can be impossible, everyday tasks, possible again for our wounded. Building these homes for our heroes is a labor of love,” Greenwood confided.
The heart-tugging event was in conjunction with longtime Grand Ole Opry sponsor Bass Pro Shops’ milestone 50th anniversary as a leader in outdoor recreation merchandise and champion of Helping A Hero.
On Saturday, November 19th Circle is set to air the Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops 50th Anniversary with performances by John Anderson, Dierks Bentley, Charles Esten, Lee Greenwood, Janson, Gary LeVox, Dustin Lynch, Clay Self, and Rhonda Vincent. The special will also be available as a live stream on Circle and Lee Greenwood’s Facebook and YouTube accounts.
Meanwhile Greenwood, in honor of his 80th birthday, is preparing for an 80-show tour in 2023 titled American Spirit Tour…Once and For All.
“I look forward to seeing all of my friends and fans on the road next year, and I want to thank them for their support and love all through the years. I believe God really has blessed the USA, and I know he has certainly blessed me.”
Greenwood, an artist with 30 USO Tours to his credit, continues to align himself with corporations that celebrate and honor his creed of faith, family, and service to country including Patriarch Distillery/Soldier Valley Spirits that created a Lee Greenwood signature bourbon, Black Cat Fireworks who manufacture the “Proud To Be An American” Lee Greenwood signature firework and the God Bless American Bible that features a handwritten chorus of “God Bless The USA” along with copies of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence and Pledge of Allegiance.
Follow Lee Greenwood on all social media platforms and his website for updates to his tour schedule and receive notifications when tickets go on sale.
About Lee Greenwood:
Throughout his expansive career, international country music icon Lee Greenwood has earned multiple CMA and ACM Awards, a Grammy Award for Top Male Vocal Performance on “I.O.U,” in 1985, and a multitude of other prestigious awards nominations. His discography includes twenty-two studio albums, seven compilation albums, seven No. 1 hits, and thirty-eight singles including songs like “It Turns Me Inside Out,” “Ring On Her Finger Time on Her Hands,” “She’s Lyin’,” “I Don’t Mind the Thorns if You’re the Rose,” “Dixie Road,” “Somebody’s Gonna Love You,” “Going Going Gone,” “You Got A Good Love Comin’,” among others. His stand-out hit “God Bless the U.S.A.” has been in the top five on the country singles charts three times (1991, 2001, and 2003), giving it the distinction of being the only song in any genre of music to achieve that feat. It reached the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart shortly after 9/11. Known for his stand-out patriotism and support of the U.S. military, Greenwood has been honored with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s National Patriot’s Award and entertained troops on more than 30 USO Tours.
