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Lee Greenwood on Why Fourth Time's the Charm

Lee Greenwood, Kimberly PayneLee Greenwood is a happily married man. He's been married to former Miss Tennessee USA, Kimberly Payne, for 17 years. Living happily ever after in the fishbowl world of the music business can be a challenge, but Lee, who's on his fourth marriage, says he finally got it right (this time), in spite of the difference in their ages. "She was 24 and I was 49 when we got married," Lee tells The Boot. "We elected to do that before I turned 50. It was a bench mark, but it certainly wasn't a mark of my age."

Relaxing at home in Nashville, Lee explains why he thinks his relationship with Kimberly works so well. "You know, everybody has disagreements. It's usually the small things that become an issue, not the big things. We care for each other a lot. She makes sure that I'm a happy guy, and I make sure that she's a happy woman. It takes a little bit of effort to make sure you think about each other each day when you get up. I just finished talking to her. She's in Kansas right now with her pageant business. (Kimberly directs the Tennessee and Georgia Miss USA pageants for Donald Trump and NBC.)

"I want to tell you, this is the most beautiful woman on the planet. We love each other very much. We shared our first kiss on a USO tour in Scotland the day after Christmas, so when we go back that many years, we think about our past each Christmas holiday."

Lee says that about 75 percent of the couple's day is usually focused around their two sons, ages 11 and 14, "because they require that kind of attention! And then we make sure that we have -- not just a date night, but we have times when we can go out at official functions. She loves to dress up and go out. And as her escort, I'm privileged to do so. Everybody is different in how they treat their mate. We are committed to constant attention to each other, and I think that's how we keep our love alive."

Lee has four other children by previous marriages, but, he says candidly, "Kim is the only woman I've ever loved. I don't say that to make my other wives feel bad. My exes, I don't talk to them. They weren't pleasant divorces. For my childrens' sake, I do respect their mothers however, because they took care of those children when I wasn't there. I'm an active father in this marriage, and I think that's how I've changed and matured. But you search 'til you find someone that you really love. That's the key."

Lee does have a bit of advice he would give to single men thinking of taking the plunge: "Don't just marry frivolously without a great deal of thought. I don't think most men do that. Most men are led into a marriage, and it just took me a lot of years before I ran into the person that opened up my heart and [made me say] 'I love you.' That was pretty tough for me to say for a long time. I was 17 when I was married for the first time. It was hard."

Lee, who has signed with Country Crossings Records, has a new single out called 'Why Lie.' He's currently working on a new album with famed producer James Stroud.

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ahhhthatsbetter

What a crock of ****!! LMAO Lee Greenwood is a liar and cheat. I know for fact he's cheated on the four wife....he has never been faithful to any woman.

December 13 2011 at 1:45 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Evelyn

It's too bad he didn't have that same commitment toward his first wife. Mistake or not, he was responsible for hurting a lot of people in his life. Good thing HE's happy now, after such little regard for the chhildren he brought into this world during his prior marriages. There are scars those children will carry with them for the rest of their lives due to his irresponsible behavior. I find it so disgusting that society supports people in such a positive way. Vows and commitments are no longer what they used to be. Instead of saying until death do us part anymore, people should start saying, until I don't feel like it anymore. This man should not have married women he never loved, nor brought children in this world he wasn't willing to help raise. So selfish!

March 07 2010 at 4:28 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Evelyn's comment
Jeannette

I agree Evelyn, amen!!! I have been in a similar situation with the father of my children. He does not help me with my children much but yet he had another child with his new girlfriend and all the attention goes to the baby and forget about the other kids. It's easy for a man to forget about their children but for us women we have to stick with our kids no matter what or you will be looked upon as a bad mother. Guy's don't usually get these type of harsh remarks. I feel that today's society needs to stop giving men like this so much credit and like you said Evelyn I wonder what happened to death do us part, that's why the society we live in today is so messed up, everyone is getting married to whoever they think they love then quickly getting a divorce,thats why the divorce rate is so high today and poor children who have to suffer because of this.

March 07 2010 at 5:17 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Betty

I would have to agree with the comments about fourth time being the charm because my sister married a man and at the time she was 16 and he was 32 and she was his fourth and final wife they have four kids and were married for 20 years before his death and even though they had some problems they learned to work through them and were very happy.

March 07 2010 at 12:47 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
MichelleActuallyReadsTheWords

I have always enjoyed Lee Greenwood's music, but his behavior is that of a bitter, vindictive man.

While "fourth time's the charm" for him, speaking so disrespectfully of women to whom he was married is far from charming.

By his own admission, his older children are watching the younger ones get far more of his paternal attention. Now they can read these "candid" comments about their mothers. Ouch.

March 06 2010 at 11:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to MichelleActuallyReadsTheWords's comment
Jamie

Having worked with Lee before for a respectable ammount of time I can say that he is in no way a bitter or vindictive man. Lee is probably the farthest thing from it. Everyone makes mistakes in there life and he happened to make atleast three of them. I will not get involved by telling you the stories Lee has shared with me about his personal life while sitting around and talking to him before a show. But maybe before you judge someone and call them names you should try to find out more behind the story. Matthew 7:1-5 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

March 07 2010 at 3:09 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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