With the sound of helicopters hovering overhead, the country singer Lee Greenwood took a phone call on Thursday while standing backstage at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.
Greenwood, who is best known for his patriotic anthem \u201cGod Bless the U. S. A.,\u201d was waiting in the wings for his afternoon gig an hour later as part of President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s inaugural concert.
If Greenwood didn\u2019t sound nervous, it\u2019s because he\u2019d done this a few times before. The veteran hitmaker, who was born in Los Angeles and raised in Sacramento, has now performed during the inaugurations of every Republican president since Ronald Reagan.
\u201cIt never gets old,\u201d he said of playing his flagship song during historic occasions.
\u201cSince I wrote it in 1983, there have been so many moments when the song has assisted not just me, but the country,\u201d he said, estimating it took him a half hour to write. \u201cThe first Gulf War, the disaster with Katrina, the Sept. 11 attack on America, and each time \u2018God Bless the U. S. A.\u2019 has served a role. \u00a0\u00bb
As Greenwood spoke, a bugle playing \u201cTaps\u201d echoed in the background.
Greenwood added that on Wednesday he met Trump backstage at the National Portrait Gallery during a fundraising dinner in honor of Vice President-elect Mike Pence. The singer and the soon-to-be president chatted for a second.
\u201cHe said he was thankful that we were there,\u201d Greenwood recalled, \u201cand told me that he likes my music.\u201d
Greenwood and his wife took a photo with Trump, who, Greenwood added, \u201cwas also taking pictures with a lot of the military who were there, and I commended him for that. I think it\u2019s just terrific that the president would immediately embrace the military for their sacrifices.\u201d<\/p>\n