82 year-old war veteran and aerospace engineer John Hetlinger is a huge karaoke fan and his favorite song to perform is “Bodies” by metal act Drowning Pool. Hetlinger went on America’s Got Talent and performed the song on air. The performance went viral with over 7 million views within a two week period. Members of the band Drowning Pool caught wind of this and invited Hetlinger to perform the song on stage with them during their appearance at Chicago Open Air this Friday. Read on for more details.
From The Press Release
Multi-platinum hard rock band and Chicago Open Air performers DROWNING POOLrecently surged to viral status after 82-year-old Navy veteran and aerospace manager John Hetlinger performed his favorite karaoke track – DROWNING POOL‘s hit song “Bodies” – on the popular NBC competition show America’s Got Talent, surprising and charming viewers everywhere. Video of the performance instantly went viral, with over 7 million views in the first two weeks… and counting.
Shortly after the outpouring of attention, DROWNING POOL guitarist CJ Pierce sat down for a chat with Entertainment Weekly, inviting Hetlinger to perform with them during their upcoming set atChicago Open Air. Hetlinger replied on Twitter accepting the invitation, and the rest is history!
Hetlinger will join DROWNING POOL onstage at Chicago Open Air during their 2:00pm set on Friday the 15th.
Chicago Open Air is a three-day music, craft beer and Gourmet Man Food festival being held July 15, 16 and 17 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL, just outside Chicago. Other performers for America’s biggest metal festival include headliners Rammstein, Disturbedand Slipknot, with additional performances from Chevelle, Korn, Five Finger Death Punch, Ministry, Breaking Benjamin, Marilyn Manson, Of Mice & Men and many more. For more information, visitwww.ChicagoOpenAir.com. For tickets, please visit this location.
John Hetlinger states, “I am really amped-up to see y’all when Drowning Pool and I join you in Chicago this Friday afternoon for the Chicago Open Air festival. We are going to have a blast together – let the bodies hit the floor!”
John Hetlinger performing “Bodies”
Photo: Trae Patton/NBC
It’s no secret that DROWNING POOL support our troops and veterans in a big way, so not only is the band proud to perform with a fan of the band, they’re honored to perform with an American hero as well.
“It’s been an honor for us to play for our military every chance we’ve had,” saysDROWNING POOLdrummer Mike Luce. “On rare occasions, servicemen have joined us onstage here and there, but one thing’s for sure – we’ve never shared the stage with an 82-year-old Navy veteran / aerospace manager crushing “Bodies”. It’s gonna be crazy throwing down with him! We can’t wait to see everyone at Chicago Open Air!”
DROWNING POOL has volunteered with the USO for 11 years and has incredibly strong family ties to the military. Guitarist C.J. Pierce’s father-in-law also served in the Navy, bassist Stevie Benton’s father is a Vietnam veteran and drummer Mike Luce’s brother currently serves. As a result of those personal connections, the band has entertained more than 22,000 service members on 14 military bases in five countries, to date. DROWNING POOL has traveled with the USO to the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Iraq and Kuwait.
Not local to Chicago? Don’t worry – you can catch DROWNING POOL at several other performance dates this summer. See below for all confirmed DROWNING POOL tour dates, including stops on this summer’s Make America Rock Again tour.
DROWNING POOL Tour Dates:
7/15 – Bridgeview, IL @ Toyota Park – Chicago Open Air
7/16 – Mansfield, OH @ Ohio State Reformatory – Ink in the Clink
8/4 – Columbus, MN @ Running Aces Casino & Racetrack – Make America Rock Again
8/6 – Sturgis, SD @ Iron Horse Saloon
8/13 – Brownfield, TX @ 4B Wild West Bike Rally
8/14 – Detroit, MI @ Chene Park – Make America Rock Again
8/19 – Glen Flora, WI @ The Northwoods Rock Rally
8/20 – Ironton, OH @ Rally on the River
8/25 – Fairbanks, AK @ Carlson Center – w/ Buckcherry
8/26 – Anchorage, AK @ Alaska Airlines Center – w/ Buckcherry
8/27 – Soldotna, AK @ Sport Center in Soldotna – w/ Buckcherry
9/10 – Moline, IL @ iWireless Center – Make America Rock Again
About DROWNING POOL:
DROWNING POOL released their latest album Hellelujah earlier this year via Entertainment One Music (eOne). For Hellelujah, the band worked with renowned producer Jason Suecof (August Burns Red, Deicide, Death Angel) at the helm. The album has received high praise from reviewers and fans alike. Order the album via iTunes and Amazon.
For more information on DROWNING POOL, please visit:
DROWNING POOL is:
C.J. Pierce – guitar/ vocals
Stevie Benton – bass/vocals
Mike Luce – drums/vocals
Jasen Moreno – vocals
