When Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum thinks about Memorial Day, one memory that comes to mind is several years ago, when the trio performed as part of a salute to the troops for the Academy of Country Music. Part of what made the night so special was getting to perform with actual servicemen and women who had served our country. Charles recalls, “One of the servicemen that was performing with us gave me a bracelet – apparently, I guess when one of their brothers falls, a fallen soldier, you know, they give him a bracelet in his honor. It has their name and all those things, and their numbers and stuff – but he gave it to me and said, ‘Man, if he knew that you were wearing it and being up on stage and doing this …’.
The significance and the sacredness of the gift was not lost on Charles, and he says, “I was like, ‘I can’t take this. This is like your friend that died in battle. I can’t do that.’ He’s like, ‘Just trust me, this would mean so much to him.’”
To this day, Charles still has the bracelet and wears it every once in a while on stage when Lady Antebellum is performing, as a profound reminder of the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
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