Country Singer Takes On Powerful Mission 25 Years After 9/11

With the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaching this week, Americans across the nation are finding ways to remember a tragedy beyond words. This has come in the form of stories of heroism being reshared, videos of the event being circulated, and an overall feeling that we must never forget what happened on that fateful day.

Pennsylvania native Josh Gallagher released the single “Never Forget” on digital music platforms Sept. 4 as a way of contributing to that important effort. The emotionally charged single manages to capture the feelings of the moment, offering a fitting tribute to the 2,977 victims of the terrorist attack on American soil.

The song follows the events of Sept. 11, 2001, from the first plane strike at 8:46 a.m. in Manhattan to the following crashes at the Pentagon and in a Pennsylvania field. Gallagher will give an acoustic performance of the song during the 25th anniversary observance at the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville on Friday, as local Pennsylvania outlet the Tribune-Democrat reported.

“It’s going to be a hard day for everybody, and then to sing a song like this in front of all those family members is going to be tough, but it’s an honor,” Gallagher told the outlet. “I’ve been able to do a lot of really cool things in my career and have had great experiences, but this one takes the cake. This will be the biggest honor of my career.”

The musician said the song was written to honor the brave passengers aboard Flight 93 who fought back against the terrorists, giving their lives to help prevent more deaths on that terrible day.

“Standing on that ground 25 years later and singing ‘Never Forget’ is about as heavy and humbling as it gets,” he said. “Those 40 people stood up when it mattered. I just want this song to help keep their names, their courage, and what they did alive for the next generation.”

Gallagher now lives and works in Nashville. He gained national recognition as a finalist on the show “The Voice” in 2016. 

“We wanted to make sure this was done right because a song like this needs to be done correctly,” Gallagher said. “The second we go into the studio and the guys [started] playing it, I got the chills and was teary-eyed. If I get choked up in the studio, I know it’s good and we have something.”

There’s been a lot of discussion about how to talk to younger generations about 9/11, with a focus on conveying the feelings of that day in a way that captures what it was like to be there. Gallagher kept this personal connection in mind while writing the tribute song. 

“It hit [song co-writer Chip Minemyer and me] that we should write it in a timeline because if you ask anyone about 9/11, they will tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing,” Gallagher told the outlet. “We thought that was a cool way to write the song.”

“It’s written for everybody that day in a sense of where you got up, the sun was coming through the window, you did your morning routine and went to work, and there it was on the TV.”

“Hopefully, it inspires [younger people] to take steps to understand what happened and to appreciate the sacrifices and the heroism of the day so we all never forget,” the country singer concluded.

Josh Gallagher’s song “Never Forget” is available on all major streaming platforms including Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

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This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

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