When renowned singer, songwriter and Broadway actor Gary Morris sat down to work on his latest release “Sense of Pride,” he knew it would be his most personal album yet. The title track “Sense of Pride” is autobiographical and was penned about his father, World War II veteran Master Sgt. Stanley Morris and dedicated to all veterans.
“As Tom Brokaw has stated before, ‘It is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever produced,’” recalls Gary. “My father served as a master sergeant in World War II. One of my uncles retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel. Another uncle served in the Korean War. Military service was part of my family. In 1969, I was part of the first lottery. I drew number 12.”
Since the beginning of his career, Morris has honored veterans in any way possible. “I made the decision to do what I could to serve those who were fighting for all Americans,” Morris continues. He has performed for the Air Force reserves in Germany, Italy, Turkey and other military posts in the Middle East. For three years, he hosted a celebrity golf tournament in Denver, Colorado to raise money for TAPS, an organization which provides grief counseling to military families who have suffered loss.
Currently, Morris is involved with several organizations that benefit veterans, often hosting them at his Colorado ranch, Mountain Spirit. “Mountain Spirit is a healing place,” he says of the ranch, “it’s the least I can do.” While at Mountain Spirit, the veterans are taken on a guided fly-fishing trip, housed, and fed. He continues his outreach annually with a benefit concert in Abilene, Texas each holiday season for Healing Adventures for Veterans and Survivors. It benefits a local fly-fishing group, who in turn sponsors veterans to visit the ranch each summer.
Fans can hear Gary’s personal story about his father’s service by streaming or downloading the title track from his album “Sense of Pride” at any of the following online retailers and streaming services: Apple Music, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon and Spotify. Below is a recent performance of the song on the international radio show Viva NashVegas hosted by George Hamilton V recorded live from Kimbro’s Pickin Parlor in Franklin, Tennessee.