48 HOURS
As he sings the national anthem at Love Ride 19 on Sunday morning,
the wholesome Pat Boone will be among the most patriotic people in
America -- leather-clad motorcycle enthusiasts. At least that's what
the veteran singer, actor and best-selling author believes.
Boone is just getting over a cold, and is dreading using his vocal
chords so early in the morning.
"But I realize these bikers are the most patriotic people in the
country, so that's encouraging," he said in a phone interview.
These bikers really know the meaning of freedom, he said. They get
out on their bikes and ride unrestricted around the city or across
the country whenever they want to, with their friends or alone.
The annual Love Ride, which draws some 22,000 bikers to raise
money for charity, revs up for registration at 6 a.m. followed by a 7
a.m. concert by the Jefferson Starship at Harley-Davidson in Glendale
near Mira Loma Avenue. At 8:45 a.m., Boone will sing his original
"Under God'' followed by "The Star-Spangled Banner." The bikers will
then head for Castaic Lake for a second concert featuring Sheryl Crow
and Mick Fleetwood, founding member of Fleetwood Mac.
This is the eighth time Boone, who lives in Beverly Hills, will
join the bikers part way on the trek to Castaic. He is turning around
half-way to get home to prepare for a CD signing tour this week in
Florida and Texas for WalMart.
He'll be aboard his Heritage Springer Soft Tail that he bought at
Harley-Davidson of Glendale.
"The ride is such a phenomenon. There are 22,000 riders and some
with passengers so that's 30,000 people," he said. "When you look out
over the huge sea of people, helmets and scarves, it's really an
amazing sight. I guess it's a total slice of Americana, especially
because it is raising money for the MDA and children's literacy."
It's also good public relations, Boone said, for the sport of
motorcycling. For years, bikers have been cast in a negative light,
like in the film "Easy Rider."
"But the vast majority of people who ride motorcycles around the
country are patriotic, responsible individuals -- preachers, doctors
and lawyers," Boone said.
He lives by the philosophy, "Commend, not just condemn," which he
learned through his interaction with people who have different
lifestyles and cultures.
His appearance on the American Music Awards in 1997 taught him a
lesson.
The day after the awards, his CD, "In a Metal Mood," a collection
of classic heavy metal music in the big-band style, was to be
