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CNN Live Event/Special

The Fourth in America 2020. Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired July 04, 2020 - 23:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[23:00:00]

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: And welcome back, everyone, to the fourth in America. We've seen some spectacular fireworks tonight, but look. That's a natural one right there the moon over Washington, D.C. a full one, at that. In minutes, three light shows unlike anything we have seen so far, Dana Bash.

DANA BASH, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right a drone light show. That's going to happen in Nashville and it includes a message to America. Then, to Cookeville, Tennessee, where this year, tornadoes devastated the community there, but we will join them for a fireworks experience unlike they've seen in the past.

And we're going to keep an eye on what you just said, mother nature has given us something to look at in the sky, in addition to these spectacular fireworks, we're going to keep an eye on the partial lunar eclipse, which is beginning right now. I mean, Don, what are the odds?

LEMON: I know, lunar eclipse, full moon, I got fireworks going behind me. It's - I mean, what a show we've had tonight. And there's still more. So, let's get right to our performance. Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana share a special message and their take on John Lennon's "Imagine."

CARLOS SANTANA, AMERICAN-MEXICAN GUITARIST: Now, more than ever, we need John Lemon's message of love, compassion and peace. John Lemon and - were visionary and still are. Their - and by brushing to bring imagine still to this day to this world brings us hope that brings us together and brings a healing. We know that the world needs a hug and the world needs compassion, so, we hope that this message brings all that to you. Enjoy. Peace.

CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA, CARLOS SANTANA'S WIFE: Absolutely. And I just am in love with the timeless message of this song, "Imagine," it just really touches the heart, as it did for me as a child and I know as it does for everyone who hears it. This message is important, it's elevating and we need it, we need it, we need it, especially now.

SANTANA: Peace.

CARLOS: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Imagination is more important than knowledge. Albert Einstein.

[23:05:00]

BASH: Wow, Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana, thank you for that performance. And now, two performances I have been waiting all night to bring to you. One, from a living legend, Barry Manilow, someone I'm proud to call a friend, who brings us a song that rings true today during the Coronavirus pandemic.

But first, rock and roll legends who I am so grateful for giving us this personal concert, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, also people who are near and dear to my heart, they are going to sing "We Belong."

PAT BENATAR, SINGER: Many times I tried to tell you many times I cried alone. Always I'm surprised how well you cut my feelings to the bone? Don't want that leave you really I've invested too much time to give you up that easy to the doubts that complicate your mind.

We belong to the light. We belong to the thunder. We belong to the sound of the words. We've both fallen under. Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better we belong. We belong we belong together.

Maybe it's a sign of weakness when I don't know what to say? Maybe I just wouldn't know what to do with my strength anyway? Have we become a habit do we distort the facts. Now there's no looking forward now there's no turning back.

When you say we belong to the light we belong to the thunder. We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under. Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better. We belong we belong, we belong together.

Close your eyes and try to sleep now. Close your eyes and try to dream. Clear your mind and do your best to try and wash the palette clean. We can't begin to know how much we really care. I hear your voice inside me I see your face everywhere.

We belong to the light. We belong to the thunder. We belong to the sound of the words, we've got fallen under. Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better.

[23:10:00]

BENATAR: We belong, we belong together. We belong to the light. We belong to the thunder. We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under. Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better. We belong, we belong, and we belong together.

BARRY MANILOW, SINGER: Every rainbow has to have an end part of gold or dreams foretold may not be there my friend. In this very scary world we live in sometimes you have to break. Sometimes you have to bend until the good times come again.

I'll see you then when the good times come again. When you and I have made it back from the people and the places we have been. I'll see you then when the good times come again. The door that we go out of is the door that we come in when the good times come again. When the good times come again hope we all survive the world out there. You never know what wind will blow so don't forget I care and don't forget the way we felt together. Sometimes you have to hold to all the good that's been until the good times come again.

I'll see you then when the good times come again when you and I have made it back from the people and the places we have been I'll see you then when the good times come again. The door that we go out of is the door that we come in. When the good times come again! When the good times come again!

[23:15:00]

BASH: Wow. Takes my breath away thank you so much for that, Barry Manilow and also to Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo and when we come back, jewel is back. And later Don McLean is here to sing his anthem "American Pie" plus, if you can believe it, the fireworks are still not over. Tennessee is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:20:00]

LEMON: And now, to a special fireworks display in Cookeville, Tennessee. This Fourth of July has special means for the people in this community after deadly tornadoes devastated the area in March. The Mayor felt the fireworks this year were more important than ever. So, we go to Cookeville, Tennessee, now.

BASH: And now, to another musical performance. Jewel is back with a personal message and her new song, "Grateful."

JEWEL, SINGER, SONGWRITER: This is a brand new song. This is a song I wrote about, actually, during a time in my life when I was homeless. I had really severe panic attacks and I started to realize I could hack my way out of them. There are only two basic states of being, there's dilated and contracted, and every thought, feeling or action leads to us feeling open or to us feeling tight.

And so, I started to write a list of all the feelings that - and actions that made me feel one of those two ways. And I realized that if I became profoundly grateful, I could hack my way out of anxiety attacks. The first time I ever got it to work. I was on a street corner, had nothing?

I felt the panic attack coming on and all of the sudden I saw the light filtering through this palm tree and I just decided to become profoundly grateful for that moment, that that light was shining on me and it created this beautiful shadow, pattern on me and my entire system relaxed.

And now they've learned that's actually - you can scientifically see what happens when our system opens like that, we become profoundly grateful, our neurotransmitters change, the blood flow patterns change in our brain, our vascular system dilates. Our blood pressure drops, it's pretty incredible. Just by profoundly feeling gratitude. So, here's my new song, it's out now, it's called "Grateful."

When everything's wrong when I can't find my song!

[23:25:00]

JEWEL: When darkness is all I see there is a remedy. It's all the little things that make the world go round. It's all the little things that are almost powerful. There's no politician, no sky too dark. No one can take the love from my heart.

The sun going to shine and in this heart of mine the sun going to shine and in this heart of mine the sun going to shine. It's true because I can always be grateful. When the loudest sound is your own life, crashing down and when your friends, when your friends that don't come around.

There's one true thing I've found. It's all the little things the bells, the ring, green, green grass and the birds that sing. I'm going to choose the bright side to see and no one, no one can take that from me because the sun going to shine in this heart of mine.

The sun going to shine and in this heart of mine the sun's going to shine oh, it's true because I can always be grateful! So bring it on, bring it on, and bring it on now. Bring it on, brick it on, bring it on, bring it on, and bring it on now. I'm singing on, sing it on, and sing it on now.

I'm singing on, I'm singing on, singing on because the sun going to shine in this heart of mine! The sun's going shine and in this heart of mine! The sun's going shine oh it's true because I can always be grateful!

JEWEL: Thank you guys for having me. I hope everybody has a wonderful and safe 4th of July.

LEMON: And thank you so much Jewel that was amazing. We turn now to two of the stars from the Broadway Show Girl from the North Country singing a song that was written by Bob Dillon but has been recorded by legends like Billy Jewel. Here is "Make You Feel My Love".

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When the rain is blowing in your face and the whole world is on your case I could offer you a warm embrace to make you feel my love!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the evening shadows and the stars appear and there is no one there to dry your tears. I could hold you for a million years to make you feel my love. I know you haven't made your mind up yet.

[23:30:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But I will never do you wrong. But I will never do you up yet. But I will never do you wrong! I've known it from the moment that we met.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No doubt in my mind where you be belong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll go hungry! I'll go black and blue.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd go crawling down the avenue.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go to the end of the earth for you to make you feel my love. The storms are raging on the rolling sea!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And on the highway of regret!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The winds of change are blowing wild and free!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ain't seen nothing like me yet!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I could make you happy make your dreams come true!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's nothing that I wouldn't do!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go to the ends of this earth for you to make you feel my love!

LEMON: And coming up, a special drone light show from Nashville that's nothing like you have ever seen before. And later, do you believe in rock 'n' roll? Don McLean sings his epic anthem "American Pie." the Fourth in America continues next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:35:00]

LEMON: Welcome back, everyone, to the Fourth in America. Hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. We still have two fireworks displays to bring you tonight, including a special drone light show in Nashville and fireworks in Cookeville, Tennessee. We're going to start with Nashville.

BASH: I've certainly never seen anything like that. Drone snow Nashville, Tennessee just incredible. And up next, "Bye-bye, Miss American Pie" the iconic song sung by the legend himself, Don McLean. You don't want to miss it. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:40:00]

BASH: Welcome back to the Fourth in America. How could we leave you tonight without one of the most popular and recognizable songs in American history? Don McLean released "American Pie" in 1971 and it was an instant hit. Here he is.

DON MCLEAN, AMERICAN SINGER: Hi, everybody, this is Don McLean, and happy 4th of July. It's a pleasure to be with you today. And many, many times on the 4th of July, I would be singing in front of very large audiences all over the country and the song they would also wait for was this next one that I'm going to sing for you now.

But I want to say that we certainly are in the middle of some kind of a strange experience that's something we've never had before in our lifetimes and we must remember the words of Franklin Roosevelt who said, we face the future with confidence. We are Americans.

MCLEAN: A long, long time ago I can still remember how that music used to make me smile! And I knew if I had my chance that I could make those people dance! Maybe they'd be happy for awhile but February made me shiver with every paper I'd deliver bad news on the door step!

I couldn't take one more step! I can't remember if I cried! When I read about his widowed bride something touched me deep inside! The day the music died! So bye-bye Miss American Pie! Drove my Chevy to levee but the levee was dry - old boys were drinking whiskey and rye singing this will be the day that I die! This will be the day that I die!

[23:45:00]

MCLEAN: Did you write the book of love and do you have faith in god above! If the Bible tells you so now do you believe in rock and roll? Can music save your mortal soul? And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well I know that you're in love with him because I saw you dancing in the gym! You both kicked off your shoes! I dig those rhythm and blues! I was a lonely teenage - with a pink carnation and a pickup truck!

But I knew I was out of luck the day the music die! I started singing Bye-Bye Miss American Pie drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry and then good old boys were drink whiskey and rye singing this will be the day that I die! This will be the day that I die!

Oh and there we were all in one place, a generation lost in space with no time left to start again! So come on jack be nimble, jack be quick, jack flash sat on his candlestick because fire is the devil's only friend!

And as I watched him on the stage my fan hands were clinched in fists of rage! No angel born in hell could break that Satan's spell! And the flames climbed high into the night to light! The sacrificial rite! I saw Satan laughing with delight the day the music died!

He was singing Bye-Bye Miss American Pie! Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry them good old boys were drinking whit key and rye singing this will be the day that I die! This will be the day that I die!

One more time all right! We were singing Bye-Bye Miss American Pie drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry them good old boys were drinking whit key and rye singing this will be the day that I die!

LEMON: Don McLean, fantastic. We're not done yet. Our finale, including the biggest, the best, the brightest fireworks of the night, that's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:50:00]

LEMON: Well, Dana, we had such a great time. I enjoyed working with you. We're not quite done yet, but I really had a great time. What spectacular fire displays, right?

BASH: Absolutely. And I hope that everybody enjoyed the evening, the fireworks, the music and speaking of fireworks, as we go, here's a little reminder of the biggest and the best moments of the night.

[23:55:00]

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