Lee Greenwood

About Lee Greenwood

Lee Greenwood is an American country music singer born in Sacramento, California, who achieved widespread recognition with his patriotic anthem "God Bless the U.S.A." released in 1984. Over his career, he charted 33 singles on Hot Country Songs with seven reaching number one and sold over 25 million albums worldwide. He won the Grammy Award for Top Male Vocal Performance in 1985 for "I.O.U." and was named Male Vocalist of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association in the early 1980s.

In this interview

• Discusses the emotional impact "God Bless the USA" had during Desert Storm.
• Explains his motivation to write a song uniting both coasts and the country.
• Recalls living through Vietnam era and wanting Americans to feel proud again.
• Mentions operating the Lee Greenwood Theatre in East Tennessee at time of interview.

“It would be wonderful someday if I can ever get famous that I can have enough impact to write a song that would tie this country together.”— Lee Greenwood, in this interview

Since this interview

In 2017, Greenwood was appointed Kennedy Center Trustee by President Trump. His signature song topped the Billboard Rock chart in 2024, forty years after its original release. He was honored as National Ambassador for Helping A Hero in 2024 and performed at multiple political rallies in 2026. He co-created the "God Bless the USA Bible" with Donald Trump in 2025.