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Patrick Stewart Charitably Celebrates America by Singing Cowboy Classics

Patrick Stewart, beloved British thespian and screen actor famous for portraying Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, has found a new angle among the American musical milieu -- singing a selection of cowboy classics.

The film and television star, known to moviegoers as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men series, tweeted the below comedy ad on July 4. A tongue-in-cheek take on renowned country songs at first glance, the stunt is actually a charity-minded affair.

As reported by the Huffington Post, Stewart's spin on the golden country greats benefits the International Rescue Committee. The 75-year-old actor, who started his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company, will donate his share to the charity:

"Beyond the novelty of it, there's also a worthy cause behind Cowboy Pat's recordings. Proceeds from the collection's sales go to the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian organization that helps refugees and victims of armed conflict around the world."

On the countryfied website touting Stewart's new Western music material, an infomercial-themed display informs visitors that the artist's fictitious Cowboy Classics albums (two volumes advertised as being available on vinyl, CD, cassette and 8-track) are sold out. In reality, Stewart's five-song Cowboy Classics Sampler CD can be purchased at the site via online distributor CD Baby.

In a 2014 interview with the Telegraph, Stewart spoke of tackling projects that stretch his performance skills and challenge his fans' perceptions of his oeuvre. As he told columnist John Hiscock, he enjoys toying with acting's disparate elements:

"People have an impression of who Patrick Stewart is based on the characters that I play, most particularly Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier, and I know him to be very different. So it has enabled me to make some adjustments to those impressions and it's been wonderful fun."

Watch Patrick Stewart sing some cowboy songs below and be sure to visit the "P Stew Sings" website at www.pstewsings.com.

We want to hear from you. What do you think of P Stew’s new country song renditions? Let us know in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

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