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CNN Live Event/Special
The Fourth in America. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired July 04, 2021 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[20:00:00]
DANA BASH, CNN HOST: From the Beach Boys as they perform some of their iconic songs in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. But first a country music legend with a special rendition of a Neil Diamond classic. Here's Billy Ray Cyrus and the New York Youth Symphony performing "America."
(BILLY RAY CYRUS AND THE NEW YORK YOUTH SYMPHONY PERFORM "AMERICA")
BILLY RAY CYRUS, SINGER AND SONGWRITER: What an honor to be with y'all on the Fourth of July, singing such an amazing Neil Diamond smash with world class musicians. It's so great to be open and America is back. It's so great and I want to take this moment to thank all of our frontline workers, doctors and nurses, truck drivers, everybody out there that kept America rolling. All of our men and women in uniform, thank you for your service and your sacrifice.
This is a song I wrote about a Vietnam veteran I met back in 1989. It called "Some Gave All."
(BILLY RAY CYRUS PERFORMS "SOME GAVE ALL")
[20:05:00]
(BILLY RAY CYRUS PERFORMS "SOME GAVE ALL")
(BILLY RAY CYRUS PERFORMS "ACHY BREAKY HEART")
[20:10:00]
(BILLY RAY CYRUS PERFORMS "ACHY BREAKY HEART")
CYRUS: Happy Fourth of July, everybody. New York City. God bless America.
BASH: Wow. That was incredible.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Wow. Wow.
BASH: Let me tell you a little scoop, Don. These kids in the Youth Choir, they learned that song in 10 minutes. They weren't planning on doing it. They composed it in 10 minutes. How incredible is that? Such talent.
LEMON: But that's -- that's a mark of a great song. I mean, obviously, they're very talented but the mark of a good song is, right, when it's very catching, you catch on, you know the words. That's why it's called an ear worm. And that song by Billy Ray Cyrus is one of those songs that's going to stick in your head. People will be singing that for the rest of the night and probably tomorrow. I do have to say something. I'm so grateful to all of these performers.
BASH: We always sing "Achy Breaky Heart."
LEMON: We do, right? And Dana, don't break my heart tonight. You got to have some more fun with me. We're going to have some champagne later.
BASH: Always.
LEMON: But let me just say, I'm so grateful to all of these performers and I'm sure they're grateful to CNN for actually putting them on as well because some of them haven't performed in almost two years, a year and a half, almost two years.
BASH: So true.
LEMON: So it's great to hear from them. They have so much energy. Billy Ray Cyrus, we often hear about Miley so much. Billy Ray Cyrus has one hell of a voice. What a great singer and performer.
BASH: Yes. And Neal Diamond who started by singing inspired him to be a singer.
LEMON: Yes.
BASH: He was going to be a catcher, a baseball catcher, and he was inspired by Neal Diamond. So was I kind of with this top. It's a little jazz singer, don't you think?
LEMON: Yes. What do you think? I kind of looking like Al Capone but it's OK.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: I'm digging in. It's all red, white and blue. I'm like, you know, this is my interpretation of the American flag.
BASH: You're very patriotic.
LEMON: Freedom, liberty, justice. And my -- this is how patriotic I can be tonight.
We have a lot coming up, Dana. We're going to go all the way to Philadelphia for Flo Rida, then we're going to go down to Florida, Fort Lauderdale to be exact, where the Beach Boys will be performing.
We'll be right back. Don't go anywhere, America.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Welcome back, everyone, to CNN's FOURTH IN AMERICA. We are closing in on the fireworks in Washington, D.C. And also in New York City, and I cannot wait. We're going to get to the Beach Boys soon in Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida.
But, Dana, I got to tell you, in New York City, and you can tell me what's happening where you are but where I am right now you can feel that something is happening. The waterways here are filled with boats. People are lining the rivers. Look at that.
BASH: Wow. Look at that picture.
LEMON: New York City water --
BASH: Gorgeous.
LEMON: I mean, it's amazing. The harbor, the East River, the Hudson River, and there is nothing like a New York City skyline sunset. It is just fantastic and people are waiting. They cannot wait to see the firework show that is in store here.
BASH: Well, Don, yes, there is nothing like a New York City skyline except if we're going to go to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and get a live performance from none other than the Beach Boys. They are playing down there. John Stamos is on percussion. Let's listen.
(THE BEACH BOYS WITH JOHN STAMOS PERFORM "GOD ONLY KNOWS")
[20:21:26]
(THE BEACH BOYS WITH JOHN STAMOS PERFORMS "GOD ONLY KNOWS")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, here's our state song. Where we live.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, Adam. Say something.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did you say, John?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a national anthem. (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The state anthem.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: State song.
(THE BEACH BOYS WITH JOHN STAMOS PERFORM "CALIFORNIA GIRLS")
[20:25:05]
(THE BEACH BOYS WITH JOHN STAMOS PERFORM "SLOOP JOHN B")
(THE BEACH BOYS WITH JOHN STAMOS PERFORM "WOULDN'T IT BE NICE")
[20:30:39]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wouldn't it be nice?
BASH: Wow.
LEMON: Wouldn't it be nice to be on the beach in Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida?
BASH: Yes, it sure would. It sure would.
LEMON: Right? Wasn't that amazing, Dana?
BASH: How incredible was that? And Don, do you know that Mike Love's son, Christian Love, was the one singing those falsettos? It was absolutely remarkable.
LEMON: Oh, really?
BASH: Absolutely remarkable. Beach Boys' music, it just makes you feel good from the inside out.
LEMON: Yes. Wouldn't it be nice if we -- I think --
BASH: Wow.
LEMON: I know. Anyway.
BASH: They should get you to -- who knew you could do those falsettos? Who knew? And you know I said John Stamos will be doing --
LEMON: And John Stamos.
BASH: The percussion, he did percussion, he was singing, he played the guitar. He does it all that Blackie from "General Hospital."
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: My gosh. We're showing our age. "General Hospital."
BASH: Yes, we are.
LEMON: Blackie. Luke and Laura. All right, I digress. Look at that. Look how beautiful that is. Look at Washington, D.C. right now. It's just fantastic. As is New York City, as our many cities around the country right now.
Still ahead, still ahead, Flo Rida -- New York City, wow. Flo Rida, Black Eyed Peas, Brad Paisley. Washington, D.C., New York fireworks. You don't want to go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:35:45]
BASH: You are looking at live pictures of the Reflecting Pool here in Washington, D.C. The sun is setting. They are getting ready for a light show, a huge fireworks display. You see the crowds there on the mall. Crowds that we did not see this time last year, and up in New York, that beautiful skyline. Look at that beauty.
It is also going to be a sight to behold when we see over the Big Apple, the fireworks display up there, but first, before all of that, we want to go to the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia for hip-hop and rap sensation Flo Rida.
FLO RIDA, HIP-HOP ARTIST AND RAPPER: Do me a favor. Drop the record that has a made us a hundred million records sold worldwide. Let's do this.
(FLO RIDA PERFORMS "LOW")
(FLO RIDA PERFORMS "CLUB CAN'T HANDLE ME")
[20:43:18]
LEMON: That is how you do a Fourth of July performance. That is how you do it Flo Rida. Guess what, though? We're not done with Flo Rida yet. We've lots more to come. We're closing in on D.C. Look at that. There is no more beautiful place than our nation's capital except maybe New York City. And Lady Liberty. The Statue of Liberty. We're closing in on D.C. and New York fireworks, all that and much, much more ahead as CNN's FOURTH IN AMERICA continues.
You don't want to miss a second of it. Don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:47:11]
LEMON: Welcome back, everyone. A live look at the mall in Washington where the National Park Service making final preparations for the fireworks, and in New York City, that's where I am right now. The Empire State Building and the East River going to electrify the skies and the crowds. Everyone here is so excited but first, though, I want everyone at home to get up on your feet. Stand up in your living room because Flo Rida has more energizing to do with this audience in Philly. Here we go, Flo Rida.
FLO RIDA: All my ladies, that's right. If you know, then sing it. Come on.
(FLO RIDA PERFORMS "WHISTLE")
[20:51:57]
FLO RIDA: You know what? Summer is not ready for Philly, man. Let's do this.
(FLO RIDA PERFORMS "SUMMER'S NOT READY")
FLO RIDA: Make some noise.
BASH: Amazing.
LEMON: The question is, Dana, is the summer ready for me? Now, wait, let me see if I can do this.
BASH: No.
LEMON: Let me see if I can do it. BASH: That's pretty good.
LEMON: Was that good? How did I do?
BASH: That's very impressive, Don Lemon. That's very impressive. But the question is, will you be able to whistle to the unbelievable light show that is going to be happening right behind me? Look at this.
LEMON: Oh, my god.
BASH: The sky is --
LEMON: Wow.
BASH: Looks like dusk. A little darker. You have these unbelievable crowds. Everybody is waiting to see this unbelievable fireworks display.
[20:55:03]
Both in Washington and where you are in New York City. But the crowds here, you know what? It feels as close to normal as I can remember. And it feels really good. I've been in this town Washington a long time.
LEMON: Yes.
BASH: And that, that is Washington on Fourth of July. Those pictures. It just feels so good.
LEMON: I think it feels -- here, Dana, it feels there is more excitement in the air than I have ever felt in New York City. You feel like something magnificent is going to happen. Something great is going to happen because people have been cooped up for way too long.
We're in such a great place in the country right now with the vaccine. With people seeing their family. I'm seeing my family for the first time, some of them in two years, my mom a year and a half. Everyone is so excited to be together, and this will be the culmination, the celebration of that and what better way to do it than a light show in the sky over America's fantastic cities?
I'm sure everyone can agree with that.
BASH: Absolutely. Absolutely everybody can agree with that, and you know what? The fact that you can see Mama lemon and your sister, I got to see them at Facetime earlier, that's pretty awesome.
It's almost time. We are counting down to magnificent fireworks in Washington, D.C., in New York City, in Philadelphia. Stay with CNN. It's about to begin.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
