Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Country And The Troops, Mutually-Supportive


Neal McCoy's road manager, Les Martines, snapped this photo for Music Row, as part of CMA "Country Takes New York City" activities. McCoy and Craig Morgan joined with Jack Daniel's for a special USO "Toast to the Troops" benefit concert at B.B. King's Blues Club & Grill (11/12).

Prior to the concert, McCoy, Morgan, USO volunteers and members of the military collected special "toasts" to the troops which will be included in USO care packages being delivered to troops later this year.


“Every show that I go to, I see a soldier that’s seen us over there (in Iraq), and without fail one of them talks about how at night, or when they got their breaks, they would put their headphones on and listen to the music - and it would take them back home. And music does that, and I think Country music does that. Country isn’t necessarily a big supporter of the war, but it is a big supporter of the country. That’s what Country music has always been, and I think we’re outspoken in the sense that we do support this country and what this country stands for. I think that happens because Country music is closer to the people than any other genre of music, and the soldiers are the people of this country. They’re the backbone, they’re the absolute core.”

- CRAIG MORGAN, the Broken Bow Records star (as quoted by Country Insider-Free Lance Journalist
Phil Sweetland), at his No. 1 party this week at ASCAP in Nashville. Morgan is a 10-year Army veteran who served in Operation Just Cause and many other deployments and also worked as a sheriff’s deputy and at Wal-Mart to reach his dream. He and his band are returning to Iraq some time soon – the exact dates are of course classified - to again play for the troops and bring those honest-to-goodness heroes a much-needed and much-welcomed taste of home – courtesy of Country music.

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