The Lee Greenwood Patriot Awards Dinner

Lee Greenwood has been an ardent supporter of Helping a Hero and has been a part of many Welcome Home ceremonies for our brave and courageous wounded warriors. Lee’s passion for America, our military, our veterans, and our wounded warriors is contagious. He received The Patriot Award from Helping a Hero in 2016 and established The Lee Greenwood Award for volunteerism that is awarded at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon each year.

In August 2017, Helping a Hero nominated Lee for the prestigious Point of Light award which he received on August 21, 2017. Surprised and surrounded on stage by many Helping A Hero recipient veterans, Lee was presented his award by Chris Daniel, Chairman of the Board, and was given his official Point Of Light shirt by Executive Director Kelly Raley. It was a special moment to be long remembered by everyone in the room.

Lee is a tireless performer and continues to pay it forward at every juncture. He is best known for his CMA Song of the Year from 1985 “God Bless the USA”. Lee is an icon in country music, with more than 30 albums to his credit. Lee has won numerous industry awards including, Male Vocalist of the year for the Academy of Country Music in 1983, two Male Vocalist of the Year awards from the Country Music Association, 1983 & 1984 and a Grammy for Top Male Vocal Performance in 1985 for “I.O.U.”.

The song, “God Bless the USA” has been voted the most recognizable patriotic song in America. Lee knows first-hand what it’s like to have loved ones fighting for the freedom of all Americans as his father served in the Navy and the Merchant Marine in World War II. “USA” is now part of the film for Homeland Security shown when swearing in new citizens to the United States.

“God Bless the USA” went far beyond what Greenwood expected when he wrote it in the back of his tour bus in 1983. The song 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 was also #1 on the pop charts after 9/11/01.

Greenwood says; “USA is the song I always felt the need to write. I wanted to have something that would unite Americans from coast to coast and to instill pride back in the United States. The song represents my family, my community and those men and women who have paid the price for the freedoms we all love and enjoy.”

Lee and his wife, Kimberly, a former Miss Tennessee, fell in love on his 1989 USO Tour. They have two sons, Dalton and Parker and make their home in Franklin, TN. He recently published a children’s book featuring the lyrics and amazing illustrations from “God Bless the USA.”