President H.W. Bush Was a John Rich Fan, and This Unseen Moment Is Extra Special

This is an outtake from an interview @RobinMeade had with Pres. Bush 41 when she played a recording for the President of a song @johnrich wrote and recorded for his own father… a veteran of WWII just like Pres. Bush. Here's the President's reaction AND now John's reaction too! pic.twitter.com/gRgHjZrTDW

— Morning Express with Robin Meade (@MorningExp) December 3, 2018

President George H.W. Bush was a friend to country music, as proven by the many artists who’ve shared memories of time together in the days since his death. John Rich‘s special moment revolves around a song and a phone call that he never answered.

During Monday morning’s Morning Express With Robin Meade, the host shared some outtake footage of an interview she did with the 41st president of the United States in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 2009. She played him a special performance of “The Good Lord and the Man” that Rich had recorded for the president for his 85th birthday.

By the end, find Mr. Bush singing along to the very pro-American lyrics.

“I see people on my TV taking shots at Uncle Sam / I hope they always remember why they came / Cause we’d all be speaking German or living under the flag of Japan / If it wasn’t for the good Lord and the man / If it wasn’t for the good Lord and the man,” Rich sings on a song that had just been released on his Son of a Preacher Man album.

Rich says he wrote the song about his late grandfather, who had six Purple Hearts from time serving in World War II. One can only conclude from the President’s response and eagerness to call Rich on the spot that he was a fan. Rich didn’t answer, so Bush left a grateful voicemail message instead.

After the outtake footage aired, Meade brought Rich on to chat for a few minutes about that day and his overall respect for how President Bush handled himself in and out of office. In 1991, President Bush became the first (and thus far, only) sitting president to attend the CMA Awards.

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Source: President H.W. Bush Was a John Rich Fan, and This Unseen Moment Is Extra Special