Craig Morgan's National Anthem Advice

As our nation heads towards Memorial Day Weekend, it seems fitting to speak with Craig Morgan, who has 17 years of service in the United States Military and currently has a role in the 313th Army Band. During a talk with Katie Neal, Craig is quick to note the distinction between Veterans Day and Memorial Day, sharing its not about correction, but remembrance. “A lot of us veterans especially have this conversation, and there are those personnel within the veteran community who get really aggravated when people misconstrue Veterans Day with Memorial Day,” he reveals. “I heard a great quote from a very close veteran friend of mine, an officer, a pilot, the guy worked for the CIA. He's done a lot of great stuff, and he said, ‘Look, man, don't beat up the civilian populace, when they make the mistake of saying thank you to our veterans on that day, it's OK. That is not a day for them to be corrected, it is a day for us to make sure that we are correct.’” “On Memorial Day as a veteran it's imperative for all of us as veterans to recognize that that is a day not about us, me, or our veteran service or even our buddies' veteran service, but for those who, as you said, made the ultimate sacrifice,” he adds. “We memorialize them on that day and remember them and remember the sacrifices that they made so that we celebrate the freedoms that we do.” As a veteran, Morgan has also had the honor of performing the National Anthem on many accounts. “I'm very curious, as someone who has served for our country, is currently serving for our country and is also a Country artist who regularly sings the national anthem, what is the advice that you give to people when they are going to sing the anthem?” asks Katie. “I try not to give too much advice because you never know what might happen,” says Morgan. “I just tell them to be themselves. I always try to tell people, ‘hey, look, don't try to over sing it. Don't try to overdo it. It is the national anthem.’ It's meant to be sang a certain way. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't input your own energy, emotion, and even inflection, but it is our national anthem, and it is understanding that it is probably the most emotionally impacting song that you're gonna do. It's the one thing you don't wanna screw up, but to be proud of the fact that you get to represent everyone in singing that song, so be proud of that.” For much more from Craig Morgan, including building cabins in Alaska and his latest EP, check out the full interview with Katie Neal above.