Country Music Monday: Memorial Day Edition

Much of country music speaks of patriotism to this great country, and that includes those men and women who have served the United States. So on this Memorial Day, a day that remembers those soldiers who have fallen, I would like to highlight a handful of these impactful songs and the artists who sang or wrote them plus a country music festival embedded in Memorial Day tradition.

Granger Smith – Granger has numerous songs that encompass his patriotism for this country. He even does a 100-mile boot walk in honor of the military men and women. He also created a documentary called, They Were There; A Hero’s Documentary. This is the song by Granger from that called “They Were There.”

Here is the documentary:

Justin Moore – It is no secret that Justin has a love for his country, especially in his latest song. It talks about the fallen soldiers and the effects it has on the ones back home.

On a side note, Justin will be performing this song “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home” live at the 15th Annual National Memorial Day Parade. The National Memorial Day Parade is the largest Memorial Day parade in the nation. Millions will watch it on location, on tv, and streamed online via Military.com. The ceremony will broadcast to Americans serving overseas via the American Forces Network too.

Lee Brice – Lee sings about grieving after losing a loved one in the song “I Drive Your Truck.” Co-writer Connie Harrington was inspired to write this song after listening to a fathers interview about his son, Jared Monti. Jared received the medal of honor after being killed in Afghanistan while trying to save a fellow soldier. In the interview, Paul said how he drives his son’s truck to feel closer to him. This video features Lee’s little brother and fellow artist Lewis Brice.

Tim McGraw – In 2007 Tim debuted a song that he co-wrote on the ACM Awards with over 100 relatives of soldiers who died in the line of duty appeared onstage. “If You’re Reading This” brought tears to even the hardest of hearts. They all stood under a banner that read “Families of Fallen Heroes,” and all received a standing ovation.

This Memorial Day Weekend there is a concert festival smack in the heart of the heartland. This town is also the home of Winnebago motorhomes. Tree Town Music Festival in Forest City Iowa kicks off the summer but doesn’t forget the true meaning of the weekend. They have an opening ceremony with a color guard and $10 of every ticket sold goes to the “Families of the Fallen” non-profit group. Plus each year the festival hosts select families thru the Families of the Fallen that have lost a loved one to the service of the United States.

And this year they had quite the lineup of patriots; Tracy Lawrence who sings “If I Don’t Make It Back”, Trace Adkins who sings “Arlington” “Semper fi” and “Still a Soldier”, Dierks Bentley and his song “Home”, and Toby Keith with his huge patriotic parings of “American Soldier” and “Courtesy of the Red White and Blue” which he is said to have written within 20 mins as a response to the 9/11 attacks. It is a country music festival that should be on everyone’s summer list.

Being a daughter of a veteran, I was raised to respect the flag, this country, and those who serve it. I am happy to bring you just a lil bit of the country music that also appreciates what it means to be free and recognizes those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. I hope you paid your respects today to those who have served whether you believe in the reason or not.