Blanco Brown and the USO Rock the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and Naval Station Rota with Concert and Line Dancing
The nation’s premier military nonprofit takes country music star to visit with and perform for deployed service members.
Arlington, VA, April 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Country music hitmaker and viral sensation Blanco Brown joined the United Service Organizations (USO) for a four-day tour with Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) from March 25-26 before joining service members and their families at Naval Station Rota in Rota, Spain from March 27-28.
During his touring time, the singer-songwriter performed two electrifying concerts that had U.S. troops line dancing to his hit song “The Git Up.” Additionally, Blanco Brown had a meet and greet with top Sailors from the George H.W. Bush, was a guest judge for their talent show, and visited with thousands of service members as the first celebrity to use the USO’s inaugural floating USO Center aboard George H.W. Bush.
Find tour photos and video here.
"The USO tour was amazing, far beyond anything I've ever imagined,” said Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and producer Blanco Brown. “I had a lot of fun, and the experiences will live with me and through me for the rest of my life. I would love to get back out there and support the troops as much as I can because my purpose is bigger than my brand."
After his time underway aboard the USS Bush, Blanco Brown landed in Southern Spain for his visit to Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota where he hosted a troop appreciation picnic lunch and performed a thrilling concert in front of the blended multi-service, multi-nation crowd of Spanish and American community members.
“It was an honor to have Blanco, his team, and the USO aboard our ship to give our warriors the experience of a lifetime. The crew had a blast during the concert, and the time spent with individual crew members during the stay, paid huge dividends in crew morale,” said Capt. Dave Pollard, commanding officer George H.W. Bush. “We’ve been blessed with tremendous support from the USO throughout deployment, and special events like this one make a significant impact on lives. We thank Blanco and the USO for coming out to be a part of our story aboard Freedom at Work.”
"We were thrilled when we received word that Blanco Brown was coming to Naval Station Rota for the final leg of his global tour with USO. Everyone from our service members, families and even Spanish local nationals here at Naval Station Rota had a blast spending the day with Blanco Brown and his crew. The way he authentically engaged with our Rota community members at the USO troop appreciation picnic before his evening performance speaks volumes to the artist and person Blanco Brown is," said Capt. Teague Suarez, commanding officer of Naval Station Rota. "A huge thank you to the Blanco Brown crew and USO Global Entertainment team for making this once-in-a-lifetime event a reality for our U.S. service members, families and Spanish friends."
“The energy Blanco Brown brought to his visit aboard the USS George H.W. Bush and to Naval Station Rota was only matched by the excitement of the service members and their families,” said Jennifer Wahlquist, Vice President, USO Global Entertainment. “We are so grateful for all the entertainers and athletes who show their appreciation for our military and lift their spirits with moments like these.”
This was the first tour for Blanco Brown and part of the USO’s ongoing efforts to boost the morale of U.S. troops and their families stationed around the world.
USO Global Entertainment is the gold standard for delivering first-class entertainment programming to U.S. military service members and their families. Partnering with entertainment and sports industries, the USO brings celebrities and athletes to military locations worldwide. Through one of a kind, in-person tours and its Military Virtual Programming (MVP) series, the USO creates meaningful interactions that uplift & strengthen service members and their families and remind them how much their sacrifice is valued.
Since its formation, the MVP series has featured more than 270 celebrity guests, visiting with service members and families from every U.S. state & territory, 39 countries and 29 ships at sea. In 2022, the USO delivered 27 tours and 34 MVP sessions to over 40,000, across 30 countries, and 427 military sites to service members around the world including tours to Australia, Colombia, and Greenland.
USO Global Entertainment offers worldwide limited on-demand content through its mobile app and streams content on its social media platforms, offering a wide range of unparalleled entertainment programming. To date, content streamed across USO platforms has garnered over 1 million views and featured artists such as Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, Ne-Yo, Idina Menzel, Ewan McGregor, and Dolly Parton.
Follow the USO on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, and join the conversation using #BetheForce on social media.
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*About the USO*
The USO strengthens America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home, and country, throughout their service to the nation. At hundreds of locations worldwide, we are united in our commitment to connect our service members and their families through countless acts of caring, comfort, and support. The USO is a private nonprofit organization, not a government agency. Our programs, services and entertainment tours are made possible by the American people, the support of our corporate partners, and the dedication of our volunteers and staff. To join us in this important mission and learn more about the USO, please visit USO.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*About Blanco Brown*
Blurring the lines between Country and Hip-Hop music, Blanco Brown makes a southern sound that he proudly calls "TrailerTrap." Honing in on his unique sound, Blanco balances both the urban and rural settings in which he grew up. His viral hit “The Git Up” (certified 11x PLATINUM across three countries) took the world by storm, claiming the top spot in charts across the globe and spawning nearly four billion views across social platforms. It claimed the No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for 12 weeks and was the top-selling digital Country song in the US for 13 weeks, resulting in Billboard naming him as their No. 1 Top New Country Artist for 2019. Apart from being a Grammy-nominated engineer who has worked with the likes of Fergie, Childish Gambino, Kane Brown and Chris Brown, the multi-talent’s multi-national Platinum-certified collaboration “Just the Way” with Parmalee garnered more than 500 million on-demand streams, earning Brown his first No. 1 hit on Country radio (in the US and Canada). More recently, he doubled down on his genre-bending collaborations, teaming with Nelly on the funky, country inspired track “High Horse,” T.I. for “Trap Still Bumpin’,” LOCASH and the late Leslie Jordan for the funky “Let It Slide,” while pairing with Diplo for “Do Si Do” and Lee Brice and R3HAB for the remix of Brice’s hit song, “Soul.” In 2021, Blanco Brown also lent soaring vocals to the song “Never Gonna Tame You (Original Song from “The Mustangs: America’s Wild Horses”),” written by Diane Warren. Recovering from a life-threatening accident and leaning on music to heal, Blanco released “Nobody’s More Country” in 2021. Then, while hitting the road hard this summer, he instantly captured the attention of festival audiences across the nation opening his set with a breathtakingly powerful cover blend of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey.” Showcasing his world-class vocal talent and captivating stage presence throughout 2022, Blanco’s latest emotionally charged new track “I’ll Never,” available now, is unlike anything the No. 1 hitmaker has ever released.
CONTACT: Jennifer Passey
United Service Organizations
jpassey@uso.org