Did you know that on this day in Country Music History in 1986 Lee Greenwood performed "God Bless The U.S.A." in the New York Harbor as the Queen Elizabeth II arrived from England to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty?

Getty Images
Getty Images
loading...

Indeed, it's true! Check out the video!

Here are 5 interesting facts about Lee Greenwood.

  • He was born Melvin Lee Greenwood.
  • He grew up near Sacramento, California on the poultry farm of his maternal grandparents.
  • In 1969, he joined the Chester Smith Band and had his first television appearance.
  • He founded his first band, The Apollos, in 1962. The band, which changed its name later to Lee Greenwood Affair, played mostly pop music and appeared mostly in casinos in Las Vegas.
  • After his band broke up in the 1970s, Greenwood moved back to Las Vegas, where he worked as a blackjack dealer during the day, and as a singer at night.

More From