Country music singer Lee Greenwood said Tuesday that performing “God Bless the USA” in New York weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks helped Americans reclaim a way of life the attackers sought to destroy — a memory he expects to revisit on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.

A Moment That Lifted a Nation

Greenwood performed his signature anthem at Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 31, 2001, as New York continued to mourn and recover from the attacks. “It will bring back those vivid memories that I had during those moments,” Greenwood said on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America”. “We did the firemen’s memorial at Yankee Stadium. We did the police memorial at Carnegie Hall. And then, the fourth game of the World Series, where we tried to lift up the country at that point because the terrorists wanted to do one thing: take away our lifestyle. And our lifestyle, we love our sports. We love all of the things that we do to make competition fun for us.”

He added: “It will be a little bit more of a celebration, but we’ll honor those people that lost people in the towers in New York. It was just an unbelievable tragedy. I get teared up when I think about it.”

Plans for the 25th Anniversary

Greenwood said he will be in Dallas on Sept. 10 and likely in New York on Sept. 11 for anniversary functions. Families will gather at the National September 11 Memorial plaza to read the names of the 2,983 people killed in the 2001 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, with seven moments of silence including one for those lost to 9/11-related illnesses.

The Song’s Enduring Legacy

Reflecting on the song’s lasting appeal, Greenwood said its message is rooted in the nation’s founding and a shared American identity. “I wrote this song as a memory of how our country got started. I even say, ‘I won’t forget the men who died,’ and ‘I’m proud to be an American.’ And many people hadn’t said they were proud to be just Americans. They were something else. And I think we always have to be proud. We’re an American.”

Greenwood wrote the song in 1983 and released it in 1984 on his album “You’ve Got a Good Love Comin’.” It spent 37 weeks on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and became a top 10 hit, with the Country Music Association naming it Song of the Year in 1985. The song surged again following 9/11, reaching the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. In June 2025, Greenwood received a plaque recognizing 2 million sales of the original single.

A Lifelong Connection to the Military

Greenwood has maintained a close connection to the military through more than 30 USO tours and work supporting wounded veterans. He said the song still asks listeners to identify first as Americans and take pride in the country.