Most artists are driven to create because they feel a deep desire to express themselves to the world.
They feel a love or sometimes even a hurt that they simply cannot contain — and they need to take the original spark of these feelings and translate them into a book, a song, a performance, or some other creation.
What can be hard is maintaining the same need to create not only through the years, but through the decades. While some artists like Clint Eastwood — who released two movies last year and turns 89 in May — will never stop creating or expressing themselves, many other artists hang up the hat at some point. Sometimes it’s to keep a solid body of work untainted and sometimes it’s simply because the inspiration is gone.
At 76 years old, Lee Greenwood has not lost his love for music. After decades of the kind of success many musicians dream about, Greenwood is still touring the country for a good part of the year.
He’s still performing hits like “God Bless the U.S.A.” with the sort of passion and gusto some musicians half his age have trouble finding.
LifeZette sat down with Greenwood recently in Tennessee, where he lives with his wife Kimberly, to discuss a variety of topics. One of those was about Greenwood’s inspiration as an artist to keep pushing and performing.
Related: Lee Greenwood on Why He Couldn’t Say ‘No’ to Performing at Trump’s Inauguration
“I’m inspired by beauty,” the singer said. “I like the pretty side of life and I’ve always pursued a work ethic and a responsibility to duty.”
“I wasn’t in the military — I probably would have done well in the military,” he added. “But I still have that same drive.”
Greenwood said he doesn’t feel as “creative” as he was as a young artist — but he’s not tempted to stop performing any time soon.
“I still have that urge, that desire to perform for people and to make them happy, to take them out of their moment of existence just to get into my show. And I think anybody that really is good at this would have that same answer, and I hope to do this still for a while longer.”
For more from Greenwood on his art and his love of performing, check out part of LifeZette’s exclusive interview with the music legend below:
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