Performing for presidents isn’t new for country musician Lee Greenwood, who is on the roster of entertainers at Monday’s inaugural.
His patriotic anthem “God Bless the USA,” which was released in 1984, made him a favorite with Republican presidents like Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Donald Trump. As a resident of the Nashville area, Greenwood said he was preparing for his trip to Washington, D.C., by getting some warm clothes. Monday’s forecast is so frosty that President-elect Donald Trump revealed Friday that the swearing-in ceremony and speeches will be held indoors in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.
After 40-plus years of live performances, Greenwood is accustomed to keeping an eye on the weather. He was slated to perform outside of the Capitol during Monday morning’s ceremonies. Given the bone-chilling temperatures, the details about the live performances were still being worked out Friday afternoon. He said, “Of course, when I sing live with the U.S. Marine Corps band, there’s always that moment, when you think ‘Please don’t rain.’”
With a variety of clothing options, Greenwood will consult with his wife Kim, a former Miss Tennessee, as he always does. She is the executive director for the Miss USA state pageants in Tennessee, Georgia and Mississippi. (The pageant was owned by Trump from 1996 to 2015.) “I take my wife’s advice about what to wear. She’s very good at it,” he said. “When I do live performances, I’m not necessarily concerned about my makeup or my color choices. Live performances are more about how the audience perceives me as an artist. But on camera, we have to be a little more concerned about color and lighting more than anything. And of course, we have to dress appropriately so that the nation views us as not modest but appropriately dressed.”
Having performed for several presidents over the years, Greenwood wasn’t concerned about any nervousness on Inauguration Day. He said, “I don’t think it ever gets old particularly when you’re singing for the president of the United States again. In this particular environment, where we’re swearing in a new head of state, there’s no nervousness. There’s an excitement about it. Carrie Underwood will be there singing ‘America the Beautiful’ right after he’s sworn in. My singing with the band is exciting, because normally my crew is a country quintet on stage. But when I sing with a full orchestra, there is a majestic performance that comes to life.”
His perspective of the arts was shaped partially by serving on the National Endowment for the Arts for 14 years, after being appointed by President George W. Bush. Greenwood said, “That was an interesting tenure, going to Washington, D.C., and overseeing as a council member the tax dollars that are spent in and about American culture. I learned a lot about the United States and its diversity in cultural experiences, from museums to dancers to musicians and artists of all kinds.”
Asked what is needed now for the arts, he said “a continued focus on the fact that America has its own art, whether it’s bluegrass music, the symphony or the ballet. We need to retain that focus. Plus, the Indigenous people in the U.S., the Native American tribes from coast to coast, are important, too.”
After the inaugural, Greenwood will kick off his “American Spirit Tour” on Wednesday in Florida. He also published the “God Bless the USA Bible,” which Trump endorsed. Printed in the King James version and in large lettering, it also features copies of the handwritten chorus to “God Bless the USA,” the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance. Last fall a controversy surfaced after thousands of copies were printed in China.
Greenwood said Trump is “absolutely” a friend of his and said that he has been very kind to him, his wife and his family. “Proud” as Greenwood is to stand next to Trump, the 81-year-old performer said, “He’s not the first president that I’ve stood next to onstage. But it’s interesting at this stage in my life that ‘God Bless the USA,’ which is more than 40 years old, is still relevant, because of the President[-elect.]”
Lee Greenwood and his wife Kim.
Getty Images
The musician’s own family life is layered, as he’s been married five times — twice to his now ex-first wife. As for what makes for a successful marriage, he laughed, “I don’t know if there is an answer. I know that love is important, loyalty, faith, respect and all of those things. But there are a lot of ups-and-downs in a marriage. You’re never going to have total peace and you have to have laughter. You have to pursue life with vigor. And make sure that you understand what each person wants out of the marriage and their own life. Respect that and give that to them.”
