exclusive – Lee Greenwood and Sarah Evans have released a new song that credits the late President Ronald Reagan as a surprise songwriter.
Reagan may have been busy running for President of the United States in the 1970s and finishing his term as governor of California, but he still found time to hang out with record producer Mike Curb, founder and chairman of Curb. He co-wrote the patriotic song. record.
Curb said he met Reagan in 1974, his last year as governor, at an event for Junior Achievement, a charity that teaches students the concept of free enterprise. The two hit it off, and Reagan asked the songwriter if he could help with his presidential campaign.
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Mr. Curb credits the harsh California traffic of the '70s with giving him and Mr. Regan plenty of time to write songs together, including “Together, a New Beginning.”
“In the '70s, there was a lot of traffic in California, so I used to travel with them,” Curb told FOX News Digital. “And several times we wrote songs together, one of which was the theme for a convention that was performed in 1980. It was called 'Together, a New Beginning.' ..Some of our recording artists came to the convention. I was in Detroit that year…and that song was sung at the convention. ”
Ronald Reagan is running for president. (Getty Images)
Mr. Reagan lost the Republican nomination to Gerald Ford in 1976, but Mr. Curb said he used the disappointment to write more music.
“And after he lost the 1976 election, we wrote a song called 'God Has a Greater Plan,'” Curb said. “He was a little depressed and didn't think he'd be able to run again. So I told him, 'God has bigger plans.' And he said, 'Oh, that's what Nancy told me. And then we wrote a song called “God as a Greater Plan''…and then we wrote a third song, “We Can Begin the World Over Again,'' which is The lyrics were all his. ”
Years later, producer Mark Joseph played the song for Lee Greenwood, who decided to modify it and change it to “Let's Start the World Over Again.”
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Greenwood recalled that unforgettable conversation.
“He said, 'Ronald Reagan and Mike Curb tried to write a song,'” Greenwood told Fox News Digital. “And he sent it to me and said, 'Not really. It's never finished.' The idea is to renew the world, and how naive is that? Ginger, what a beautiful idea.”
“And I knew Ronald Reagan well, and I knew Mike Curb well. I was on his label for a while, and that's when I realized this song. It gave me a chance to start over,” Greenwood continued. “And I redid that song for them, and they loved it. I recorded that version, and it will be released soon as an aftermarket album for the movie 'Reagan.' It should be.”
Dennis Quaid plays Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office. (Noah “Nanea” Hamilton/Rawhide Pictures)
Greenwood wrote a new song, but kept some specific lyrics, including the phrase “beacon of freedom.”
“I'm proud to be an American,” the singer said. tennessean He cited Reagan's “altruism” and Curb's “visionary” tendencies, as well as their conversations about his awareness of Reagan's legacy and “how much he believes in America as its greatest symbol.” He said this was blended together with a desire to reframe the song as something specifically tied to the many conversations he had. To the world for freedom. ”
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“These songs remind many generations of the 'good old days' of American society,” Curb said of the songs. “An honest reflection of President Reagan's essence as an entertainer, a centrist, a responsible, good and fair man, and an approachable person.”
Asked if he was surprised by Reagan's songwriting ability, Curb noted that Reagan spent years as a Hollywood star before entering politics. During his career, Reagan appeared or starred in over 50 films. He was the subject of the 2024 biopic “Reagan,” starring Dennis Quaid as the 40th president.
Singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“He was a great guy,” Curb said. “Because when you're sitting in the back seat with him, you feel like you're sitting with the person next to you. It's very real. Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat. I think all my friends are like, 'They seem to look back on Reagan as the good old days. ”
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“Start the World Over Again” will be released soon, and country singer Sarah Evans will release a recording of “God Has a Greater Plan.”
Fox News Digital's Hannah Lambert contributed to this report.
