Lots of entertainment at the Marion Palace Theatre in September

I’ve never been a big fan of country music. Sure, I love the Garth Brooks and Shania Twain crossovers and “Achy Breaky Heart,” but in general, I’ve never been a die-hard fan. I prefer Elton John and Billy Joel growing up. Then in 1983, “God Bless America” ​​became a crossover hit, and I added Lee Greenwood to my list of all-time favorite country singers.

In the mid-’90s, I was visiting my college friend who was living in Chicago at the time. I remember going to an Irish pub on St. Patrick’s Day and while waiting for a drink, I started chatting with a customer. He mentioned his name as Greenwood, and I joked, “Anything to do with Lee Greenwood?” He said, “Yeah, he’s my dad.” I told him I ended me with “God bless America.” the cabaret show, he said, “Well, thank you for the 5-cent royalties my father got out of it.”