WQIO Ohio's Super Station
We are thrilled to have Lee Greenwood gracing our main stage at the festival this year!
Greenwood was born in Los Angeles, California, and graduated high school in Sacramento in 1960. Although he earned scholarships for both track and music and had opportunities in professional baseball, Greenwood opted to pursue his passion for music. But music was always part of his life, playing the piano at seven years old and saxophone at twelve. He started his first group, Moonbeams, when he was in junior high.
After graduation, Greenwood worked at a casino in Reno, Nevada, with his band the “Apollos”. In 1979 he was discovered by Larry McFadden, bass player and bandleader for country music star Mel Tillis. He signed with the Halsey Agency and began recording. Since the early 80’s, Greenwood has won numerous industry awards, including Male Vocalist of the Year for the Academy of Country Music (1983); two Male Vocalist of the Year awards from the Country Music Association (1983 and 1984); and a Grammy for Top Male Vocal Performance in 1985 for “I.O.U”. In 1985, Greenwood won CMA Song of the Year for writing “God Bless the USA”, a song he says he “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.” Exceeding his expectations, “God Bless the USA” has been in the top five of the country music singles charts three times – 1991, 2001, and 2003 – the only song of any genre to achieve that distinction.
Greenwood is involved with a variety of charitable organizations and events. He is the national spokesperson for Products for Good, serves on the advisory board of the Challenger Commission, and is a member of the National Endowment for the Arts Council, which is a presidential appointment. Greenwood is married to Kimberly, and has two sons, Dalton and Parker. His website is leegreenwood.com.
VIP Tickets Available
