These days it’s commonplace to hear the news that another musician has crossed over into the next life.  We reminisce a bit about their music and maybe a performance of theirs that left an impression on our psyche. Everyone’s tastes vary and often our musical paths don’t cross. A devastating loss to one fan is met by another fan with, “Who?”, This is especially true with artists who cross genres or appeal to people with varied tastes.

The passing of Charlie Daniels is one such occurrence. He went to be with his maker on Monday, July 6 at the age of 83.  Charlie was country through and through yet he also appealed to rock fans.

Charlie Daniels played the fiddle with rare power and grace and was accomplished with the guitar. Whether you called it bluegrass or country, Charlie was larger than life…and he was large! Hailing from North Carolina, he made Tennessee his home.  One might think that fiddle players and the state of Tennessee were synonymous. Charlie Daniels performed for more than 60 years all over the country and all around the world. Charlie suffered a stroke in 2010 while snowmobiling, which slowed hi life down.  Another stroke this week lead to his death.

I first saw Charlie Daniels in 1974 when he was the opening act for the Earl Scruggs band and the David Bromberg band at the Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park, NYC, NY. He opened for Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen at the same facility almost a year to the day. In 1977, he headlined a concert with the James Cotton Blues band at my college, Oneonta State University College in NY. Many years passed until my final CDB concert in Nov.,2006 at the Coastal Carolina Fair here in the Charleston, SC area. I recall that Charlie, who would have been 69 at the time, rested on and against a stool as he sang and played fiddle and guitar through a performance of his music. His voice was strong and his fiddle playing was great but his stamina certainly took a hit.

He began his career as a session musician and played the fiddle on at least the first four or five of the Marshall Tucker band’s albums.  He also led his talents to the Flatts and Scruggs album “Nashville Airplane”, Bob Dylan’s “Nashville Skyline”, “New Morning” and “Self Portrait”. He penned a song for Elvis Presley, “It Hurts Me”, played on Ringo Starr’s “Beaucoups of Blues” and produced the Youngbloods, all before breaking out as his own band found fame in the 1970’s.** He was the driving force behind the Volunteer Jams, a popular music festival drawing both Rock and Country acts to Tennessee annually from 1974 to 1996,2016,2018 and one is/was scheduled for this September.

His music and his beliefs evolved over the years from “good old country boy” to a God-fearing patriot of a man. Charlie Daniels was active on Twitter right up to the end. Charlie Daniels was unafraid of sharing his values and beliefs.  Many musicians were impacted by his music. He made Gospel, Country, Bluegrass and Southern Rock albums. He gained fame with the rise of Southern rock and many of today’s harder rocking Country acts owe some of their prowess to Charlie. Charlie received a Grammy in 1979 for “The Devil went down to Georgia”, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2008 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.**  His life was the stuff of legend.

**ncpedia.org

#CharlieDaniels #MarshallTuckerBand #BobDylan #ElvisPresley #RingoStarr #FlattsandScruggs #VolunteerJams #CommanderCodyandtheLostPlanetAirmen #VolunteerJam