Lee Greenwood

Genres:	Comedy • Country & Bluegrass • Holiday & Seasonal • Holiday & Seasonal • Music Videos & Concerts • Pop / Rock
Descriptive "tags":	country • patriotic • 80s country • lemmings • male vocalists
Decades Active:	1980s • 1990s • 2000s
Artist Compilations:	Lee Greenwood & Suzy Bogguss
Links online:	Official Homepage • Wikipedia

Biography

Melvin Lee Greenwood, 27 October 1942, Southgate, California, USA. Because of his parents’ divorce, Greenwood was brought up by his grandparents in Sacramento, California, but he inherited their musical talent (his mother played piano and his father woodwind). In his teens, he played in various bands in Sacramento and Los Angeles and was even part of a dixieland jazz band at Disneyland. He played saxophone for country star Del Reeves and then formed his own band, Apollo, which found work in Las Vegas in 1962. He turned down an opportunity to join the Young Rascals and for many years he was arranging and playing music for bands in casinos (and working as a blackjack dealer by day). The environment narrowed his vocal range and he developed a husky-voiced approach to ballads similar to Kenny Rogers.

In 1979, Greenwood’s career took a major step forward when he was heard by Larry McFaden of Mel Tillis’ band, who became his manager....

Read the Full Biography of Lee Greenwood