Lee Brice receives warm welcome at Yuengling festival; poised to perform at 8 p.m. on main stage

Hyun Soo Lee, Republican & Herald, Pottsville, Pa.
·2 min read

Jul. 10—POTTSVILLE — Country music star Lee Brice received a warm welcome Saturday afternoon at the Yuengling brewery.

Brice, who will perform at 8 p.m. on the main stage of the Yuengling Stars & Stripes Summer Celebration, held a media press conference at the brewery, with city officials and Yuengling family members on hand for the event.

"I'm so excited to be here," Brice, 43, said during his opening statement. "You don't have to think about or worry about it when you see like-minded people here today. ... I'm here to play a show, and I'm going to give it all I've got."

Asked what he thinks of Pottsville so far, Brice noted the rich history steeped in the region.

"I love it," he said. "I'm a big history guy."

Brice also talked about the expansive veteran community in Schuylkill County, saying it's "special" to perform for a good cause. Proceeds from the Yuengling festival will go to Team Red, White & Blue, an Atlanta, Georgia-based nonprofit that helps veterans with their physical and mental health.

Brice, who grew up in a military family, said supporting veterans is something he always cherishes.

"My whole life, it's been ingrained in me that this is a part of what I love," he said. "Every time we go and do a show that's geared toward this, they love it, we love it, we're so proud of it."

Brice was also asked what his favorite song is to perform. Though he couldn't pick a single song, as it would be like "picking a favorite kid," he mentioned his 2014 hit "I Don't Dance," a deeply personal composition he wrote for his wife.

"As a kid, I always had this idea in my head that I would meet a girl, fall in love and we would go get married, and I would write her a song that I could sing to her on our wedding day," Brice said. "And I wanted to be on the radio, and I would do all this stuff. ... And then it happened. I wrote a song called, 'I Don't Dance,' and it was for my wife, for our first dance at our wedding. And it ended up actually being a huge part of my career."

Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085