Country Star Brian Kelley Honors Service Members: ‘I Love Our Military’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Country star Brian Kelley is thankful for American freedom.
The former Florida-Georgia Line member shared his gratitude in light of Independence Day with Fox News Digital.
“At the end of the day, one of the greatest things about being an American is the freedom to speak and think and live, right?” Kelley said. “And have your own opinions and have the right to vote, to have a say in how things go here — at a local point to a national.”
Kelley also gives honor where it’s due — to the many brave servicemen and women who defend our country.
“And [I am] very grateful to live in a place where thousands of our heroes have died to protect our freedoms, to fight for our freedoms. I love our military. I love our service members — would do anything for them,” he said.
Kelley also told Fox News Digital about his grandfather, John Edward Kelley, and his uncle, Mike Kelley, who both served in the U.S. military.
“My Poppy was awarded two Purple Hearts,” Kelley said. “He was a POW in Mossberg, Germany. And his story — to this day — still inspires me and still inspires songs. And my Uncle Mike was an airborne Ranger for a long time when he first got going. Then he was in the Air National Guard right outside Nashville. He even went to Iraq in 2003, 2004. And, I remember that like it was yesterday.”
This 4th of July, the singer shared a patriotic tribute to the late Toby Keith on his Instagram page.
The post shows a video of Kelley singing Toby Keith’s hit song “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue.”
“🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 God bless America. God bless our troops. #wemissyouToby,” he wrote in the caption.
The singer recently released his album Tennessee Truth. His website shares some of his many accolades throughout his country music career.
First known as the Florida half of the GRAMMY-nominated Florida Georgia Line, the ACM Breakout Artist of the Decade Award recipients garnered 19 career No. 1s and became the first and only act to achieve two RIAA DIAMOND singles in Country music history (14X PLATINUM No. 1s: ‘Cruise’ and ‘Meant to Be’ with Bebe Rexha). Surpassing 17 billion global streams, selling more than 40 million tracks and 4.8 million albums worldwide, plus playing to over 4 million fans, FGL has been honored by AMA, Billboard, CMA, and CMT Music Awards, as well as having a Florida Georgia Line: Mix It Up Strong exhibit at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Movieguide® previously reported on Kelley:
Brian Kelley opened up about what life has been like since the duo Florida Georgia Line took an indefinite hiatus in 2022. For him, it’s all about family.
“My wife Brittney, our family time together with our extended family means the world to me,” he said, adding, that he finds inspiration for lyrics “from my lifestyle of being in the woods or in the water. That’s where typically you can find me unless we’re on the road somewhere.”
The country crooner said his music is always about “just loving and living life to its fullest, you know what I’m saying? And working hard, having something to look forward to.”
His latest album, “Tennessee Truth,” is a tribute to his time growing up with a close family in Tennessee
“And I’ve got tons of aunts, uncles, cousins, family members out in Gallatin, Hendersonville area. And, so, No. 1, kind of the first Tennessee truth is, you know, this is this record’s a tribute to my deep Tennessee roots in my family.”
