in studio, the set the table we go to the most iconic song may be behind the Star Spangled
banners, most patriotic song
ever written when Greeley
Greenwood this year country
music singer, you know, and he
just was able to sing that
song. Proud American on our
Just a short time ago.
>> Thank you very much
Brian encinia this is a rare
treat. Thank you. This is cool.
I don’t think they’ve been in
the studio before a gun FOX
nation several times but not in
the studio with you right now
no I’m honored and privileged
they just kind of built a did
did this they do have the whole
radio they have a channel one
15 on serious, which is 24 hour
news national news kind of like
the 1010 wins locally.
So they built this whole thing
for the talk studios, too so
it’s relatively new because the
pandemic hit a lot of every the
pandemic oh my gosh
you know we’re going to be
traveling out of the country
here shortly and it still is
Kuntz some countries were going
to require masks and they cite
you kind of forget after a
while when the mask is gonna
like well.
>> Which over and over I mean
still other countries you with
it personally and I hated it
first of all and particularly
we flow to Africa for a family
vacation last year.
We had to wear the mask from
the time we left Nashville
through New York through Paris
and France was more picky about
the documents we had to fill
out for covid then Kenya.
We got Canyon, there was no
mask was fine there, but
the deuce the 24 hours of
constant mask through the
airplanes, you know and the air
airport it was awful. In 2020
of course we had about 6 or 7
shows most of them outdoors and
most in the West Coast.
So that was kind of hard
keeping our talents up during
that year began to get a better
in 21 and of course we’re back
to full strength now So yet by
you know for the most part.
I went to 2 or 3 events was
really for the first time
that realize.
>> The trains are back I’m able
to get a seat on a train even
if I go a minute before on Long
Island railroad.
Subways are closed and mainly
that’s crime. I mean that
that’s a crime thing. Yeah you
notice, New York a little
different now I know.
We just come in and out so
quick I come in and out but but
it it seems normal to me except
for the fact that during the
riots when they closed all
those expensive stores.
>> My wife is
all of all of those busy start
to the glass knocked out they
didn’t reopen a down in 5th
Avenue on that. Well that’s too
bad on me couple of things that
you just tell me about your
childhood. anything but easy
right.
Well, you know let me just say
that it was it was perfect,
not my my father joined the
Navy after the bombing of Pearl
Harbor was born in 42 so he was
deployed by the time I was
born. My mother divorced him
because she didn’t understand
his commitment to the country
into the service not a lot of
families went through that
that left my mother with 2 kids
my older sister and I and my
sister still alive was in
Boise, Idaho is 3 years older
than me and my mother was a
piano player at night.
She was a concomitant operator
for standard oil during the
daytime in a cleric for
Southern Pacific. So holding
down 3 jobs. I really knew her
I didn’t know my father tell I
was in my teens. But I was
raised by my grandparents.
We were sharecroppers lived on
a farm in Sacramento,
California I worked on a farm
as a kid,
you know growing up I had a
great childhood great role
models from my grandparents and
I didn’t really want for
anything so if you say that I
did you have a true typical
nuclear family, but you had a
great grandparents and that’s
all it takes is love right eye.
When do you relate to town.
5 or 6, 7, right in there how
well I say in church and I
think that’s it when you first
realize you can you can carry a
melody and then you learn songs
off the radio I just quickly
start to sing along
with them. We don’t know we had
you know the old radio with the
2 knobs on that like it hears
some music occasionally my
grandmother the music of the
canaries hearts canary we had a
78 vinyl record and she would
listen to that sit in the
chair, and I would try to
memorize the first song that I
ever memorized
was from a 7 to 8 record was
Stan Kenton the father of
American jazz it was called
artistry in rhythm and we
had a spin it piano in the
trailer that we lived in the
corner and I was allowed to
play that panel every night
after it finished Mike tours.
And my school work
and I memorized artistry in
rhythm. I still remember the
and I got all 4 parts in my
head. I was 8,
9 wow 10. Then they think
they’ve realized 2 we we’ve got
to like support this but any
wind up
>> you want to camp he said to
right well, I mean it was
really support, but my took
charge of my career in a such a
way and it was fights between
my mother my grandmother about.
>> How much leeway they would
give me they really had a
strong leash on me but at the
age of 1314 I was already
playing in nightclubs
and to my Grandma would have
the band leader to come in sit
in the living room and we had
Spanish I would say let me just
call it the the Mexican bass
player and he had hard luck
tattooed on his neck, la.
A heat she said
if he doesn’t come home by
02:00AM in the morning, he’ll
never go with you again and I
was very good on the saxophone
and those are in those years
they had all those rhythm and
blues court hats and had a
tenor saxophone in now was
already pretty good at it.
And so I would finish get home
have breakfast downtown near
Sacramento, get home in bed by
2.30 be up at 6.30 go run the
baseball track. That school’s
athletes I would say the first
in a hit me with it before I
met you. It is natalee your
great shape. Well thank you and
at 79, I still feel pretty
darned good have had a few few
surgeries on my knees and back
but that’s just structural
damage from sports tonight I
left I wouldn’t give a minute
of it I let my baseball and
basketball and I played wreck
about 4.10 you’re 12 mean to
interrupt you my dad was in
court at a 2.
I guess you would have been
about the same age he put a
band together pays way right
college an opportunity to go
to.
>> Juilliard but my my his
parents said no one makes a
living in music.
So did that supported the ends
of being a chemist and Iona
played his music to support him
through what is big regrets was
not follow through with that
after he put down the clarinet
and saxophone. He knew how good
he could be he hated pick it
up again.
>> Well, you know I’ve got I’ve
got a 23 year-old just
graduated TCU in Fort Worth
Texas. He’ll play piano scary
to death, he looks
a lot Van Cliburn
as a matter of fact there’s a
van room an A and a contest
since at TCU in
Fort Worth and he’s elected not
to do that because he wants to
be just a writer says the
chancellor scholar because he
had a perfect score S A T score
in science scoring high school
and he changed from music from
theater to musical composition
so he’s going to write music
for video games and motion
pictures and he’s very well
qualified so I think his
Masters might be in Scotland or
somewhere body.
You know he’s going to be
musician. I’m like sun is going
to be tough you know, but you
can’t deny the talent if I
figured he didn’t have the
talent. I would have to tear
him and his brother is actually
pretty counted as a singer who
is now getting a phd in cancer
research and Vanderbilt Dalton
whose 27
and just got he’s his future
secured, but I just said
to Parker, you know it may be
tough he said it’s all right,
I’m ready for the ready for the
long haul but the EU so
when you.
>> Started in be most people
don’t making music right you’re
right, yeah, it’s grab the
brass ring you’re really lucky.
I had 2 or 3 shots at it Brian
you probably don’t know this.
>> I was working at a at a
hotel called the desert Inn in
Vegas and I was working for a
female star named the that the
Castro and when we
every every 40 minutes you get
a different act on the other
act was costs Scott in the
skies and they put on their
show and 2 female exo
when I finished the bed to
Castro’s act I joined the other
band we went to Puerto Rico the
New York to do the Ed Sullivan
Show said puts the time frame
right
for you. So that was his and so
the drummer Dunedin Elliott
leave didn’t live in Hoboken so
I stayed with them at that time
New York had enjoyed even
starliner’s had had it. A new
song called the peppermint
twist. I would come to New
York, we see them to get a
winner on getting pneumonia and
I said guys I just can’t stay
in New York I go back to Vegas
to go back to work I did that.
3 months later, they put the
band back together and they
became the young rascals.
So I miss that gold last I
press ring it’s interesting
that Felix cavaliere wrote all
the songs now lives in
Nashville. And he just did my
40 years of hits. Special which
FOX nation carries by the way.
You’re see being seen on FOX
nation proud to be
an American. so Felix later
national so it’s full circle,
but you’re right.
I’d say 1001 may be more
10,001 if you get the brass
ring in But would you say you
work at that has a lot to do
with it and when did you have a
plan B.
>> I know that because I way to the net like your dad, I mean, and
I think a diverse
opportunities, my stepfather
was with the contractor lead
antimony I loved him
and I could went into building
I I like I like that I could
win it the farmer, the gas tank
that’s hard I mean you may have
to get up at 3 in the morning
but the free or for a farmer
Europe history and you’re out
in the field has been up in a
makeup in a suit yeah exactly
that’s a little harder and I
said not want to be farmer and
so it music came so easy though
oh my gosh but I was scouted by
the Dodgers and I thought well
maybe baseball. But I was 140
pounds dripping wet
5, 7, 9, could have occurred
while they were some there’s
some guys you’re you and your
dimensions Davey Lopes was a
much bigger than that right
second base. So sure I mean
there there’s always that I
mean Walter Payton you know I
mean that there’s always an
exception but I don’t want to
be an exception I’ve got but
you are exceptional when we
come Lee Greenwood tells the
story of God bless the USA.
And what where that song is
taking you in your life and the
president’s and officials
>> Breaking news, unique opinions tear it all on the Brian kilmeade show.
>> We’re back to the Greenwood
R ghastly Green was kind enough
to do they the FOX and friends
concert series, the first one
to kick off today. Flee weekend
of course. God bless
the USA.
And a proud American is Willie
green, what is known for you
think about Lee Greenwood it’s
red white and blue, but his
really country music star first
and foremost when you talk
about that song that you played
for us. Today what has that
done for your career. A man
many people would say it’s an
umbrella. It’s not it’s not a
parachute. That’s for sure.
I’m an artist and the singer
and a writer now be that until
I’m done
God bless the USA happen to be
one of those songs along the
way that I wrote because I
wanted to write something about
my country but it was on the
first album was on was called
you got a good love common.
>> We put $25,000 in that video
and film that name and a train
station and Patrick Duffy was a
guest has a cameo to open up
that idea you can get the actor
you can get that video on
youtube if you look for you got
a good love coming.
And so when we finished that
album we’re actually recording
in Nashville has a Nashville
artist we didn’t want la
actually controlling what we do
and I was on the label and Reba
mcentire George Strait, the Oak
Ridge Boys and Barbara Mandrell
and we all had the same
mindset. We are Nashville
artist, however I was competing
with George Strait for not for
track position because and our
man ran MCA
and so as a little hard getting
past his record. So I said
let’s go out and have get la
behind us. So we took that
album you’ve got a good love
coming to Irving, Azoff in
Los Angeles and had them listen
to it was him that made the
choice to release God bless
never been it would never been
heard.
>> You think would have been
buried on the town yeah that
was just another song from and
then when you release
would happen. Well the power
radio of course you know it and
it was it was the July 4th they
released it a little bit later
went number 6 I think on chart.
>> And then after July 4th of
patriotism wanes and then the
song was not popular until it
became song of the year in
Nashville at the CMA because
started getting legs
and as much as for the National
Guard and the military is
anything because they
immediately adopted me you know
as their hero and I I did like
15 tours and bringing wind and
Reagan take notice.
Yeah that the campaign for me,
I’m a Reagan night anyway, I’m
from California. So I work is
going to real campaign even
know what I was a nobody.
Yeah and then they never forgot
that, but of course when USA
come out they call me and they
we want you to play the
president’s dinner for Ronald
Reagan, so I did that then I
did the 84 convention as well.
For Ronald and then I became
Nancy Reagan’s champion and and
and and we had a performance,
the White House and then I met
41 who was vice president the
time and then I sang for 5
presidents at the Reagan
library which was Reagan Bush.
Nixon Carter and Ford all
standing behind me what I was
saying I think this is pretty
awesome via and then it that’s
take it you had to go for and
general Schwarzkopf used it as
a as a song of the war if you
will. And then Katrina it
became a song for unity and
then of course the attack on
American 2001 and as you know
Brian I was here 3 times once
for the Fireman’s Memorial at
Yankee Stadium. The policing is
more like Carnegie Hall and
then I came back for the 4th
game of the World Series which
is kind of cool that Yankees
against the Diamondbacks and
the Yankees couldn’t pull it
out the 7th game they finally
lost it to the Diamondbacks in
Arizona but that was a part of
rebuilding New York
but since then there’s just
been eat more and more and more
need for unity and every time I
do this I come to New York and
I saying for FOX and we get you
know on the network I have so
many people coast to coast
who have text me this morning
on my phone my it’s blowing up
you know it’s like oh my gosh
we’re so proud of you
you know I worked for for
getting there and singing
people worry pages to
patriotism still there in
America can you pick can
compared to the 1980’s when.
>> You know we put the hostage
crisis behind us we begin to it
becomes clear we’re going to
win the Cold War and Reagan was
such an optimistic guy
wonderful speaker. He won by 40
plus stay 49 states for
reelection. So can you put
compare the 2 generations.
>> In World War one and World
War 2.
Every household had somebody
serving the military. I think
when you move on to Vietnam.
It was maybe every block had 3
or 4 soldiers. As you move on
to the war on terror. It’s
maybe a 100 people in the city.
So it’s less and less people
who’ve see the value of the
military and therefore
patriotism begins to wane, you
have to remember how our
freedom is protected it’s the
military and not enough people
do that so if you compare the
generations, I respect for the
country and the flag
is my if you’re going to kneel
for the flag, I suggest you go
to church and Neil that’s where
you’ll find re you know where
your God is and and I hate it
that the NFL is is one of those
that didn’t step up immediately
and say you know what
I appreciate your cause.
But this is not the place you
knew they were the
other way. Lee Greenwood I
believe when I thought about
you too and the statue start
coming down.
>> People have a problem
Jefferson at William and Mary
when he went to college.
People or defy Ling George
statue I saw that they took not
exactly a founding father, but
an iconic figure. Daniel Boone.
They want his name of elmen
cheree schools. Lincoln what
would Teddy Roosevelt from the
Museum of Natural History that
against him took him off his
horse even though he and his
dad built the Museum of Natural
History was their idea. What do
you think about when that those
things happen.
>> Brian were 2 white guys here
talking on the phone I
sometimes as I look back on it
you have to have an African
American in the culture in the
room to talk about his culture
and his appear and his
perception of what’s
going on. I disagree with
anybody wants to remove a
monument. I don’t think that’s
the right thing if you want to
direct another monument next to
it and say this is my heritage
and my friend lacked a it
exactly let me just let me just
you know give my opinion OK
great I’ll take you can, but
don’t take down my history
because the history of the
United States. I mean it you
can’t erase history.
>> So I did the president
freedom fighter Frederick
Douglass Abraham Lincoln in the
battle to save America’s soul.
And at that same time
there’s a protest around
Frederick Douglass a statue
because the statute that does
the Lincoln statue that Douglas
dedicated to link continues
after his death had a average
American breaking free of
change. The best dancers what
you just gave leave that statue
that’s what Douglas stood.
>> And then put one behind it
exactly because even back to
does I get all of the statue,
but he understood what it what
they tried to do it and was the
ups slaves pay for it OK to
design. Yeah that’s a way to do
it absolutely America’s
changing its it again every
time we have you know like the
shooting
>> Buffalo and it
becomes racial. I just you know
it’s such a speck another 40
years absolutely but hopefully
we move forward.
>> The Greenwich a thrill to
have you here you have a big
weekend. We want to promote
real quick.
>> Black cat fireworks have a
wonderful Memorial Day weekend
ago by some black
cat fireworks. do our adopted
that program come to my website