The Star-Spangled Banner's Bicentennial - Peter Alderman and Jo Dee Messina Honor America

In a special September 11th episode commemorating the bicentennial of America's national anthem, The Neil Haley Show brings together author Peter Alderman and multi-platinum country music star Jo Dee Messina for their only joint interview. Alderman discusses his coffee table book "The Rockets Red Glare," which tells the story of Francis Scott Key witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry and writing the poem that would become the Star-Spangled Banner, later set to a British pub song melody. Messina, who grew up as Alderman's neighbor in Hollis, Massachusetts, explains her deep connection to the project, having performed the national anthem numerous times and sharing Alderman's love for American history and patriotism.Messina reveals that she not only sings the national anthem and her tribute song "Heaven Was Needing a Hero" on the accompanying CD but also narrates the entire audiobook, making this her first experience reading a complete book for audio. The pair discuss how the book is written to be accessible for children while providing adults with deeper historical context about the blood, sweat, and tears behind the anthem. With Scholastic and Barnes & Noble picking up the book, and local school systems expressing interest, Alderman and Messina hope to reintroduce Americans to their country's heritage and help people understand that the national anthem represents more than just the start of sporting events—it's a symbol of sacrifice that honors armed forces members, first responders, and all those who protect the freedoms Americans enjoy today.