On Monday, the legend Charlie Daniels, 83, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist died.
He was a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, most known for his song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” and he passed away Monday morning after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke.
News of Daniels’ death came through his publicist.
Daniels died at the Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee.
The legend had a history of heart problems, and in 2013 had a pacemaker installed to regulate his heart. He is survived by his spouse, Hazel, and son Charlie Daniels Jr.
By the time the Charlie Daniels Band topped the charts with “Devil” in 1979, the instrumentalist, singer and songwriter had long established a remarkable, multifaceted profession in Music Metropolis. “Long Haired Country Boy” and “The Legend of Wooley Swamp” were also well-known hits.
The band had three Top 10 hits on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100, including “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” at No. 1 in 1979. Daniels also captured the same number on the Hot Country Songs chart, with “Simple Man” and “Drinkin’ My Baby Good-Bye.”
Country historian Bill Malone captured Daniels’ appeal in his book “Country U.S.A.”: “This big, gruff, tobacco-chewing, outspoken musician embodied Southern good-old-boy traits almost to the point of caricature. He was nationalistic, hedonistic, macho…and lovable. He also made compelling music.”
Before he even scored a major hit, Daniels was already a big deal among country-rockers, mainly due to his headlining appearances at the annual all-star Volunteer Jam concerts, launched in Nashville in 1974. The Jam ran until 1996 and then was officially revived in 2015.
Daniels joined the Grand Ole Opry in 2008 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.
As a session musician, he performed on 3 of Bob Dylan’s albums, including the revolutionary “Nashville Skyline,” in addition to sitting in on recordings for Ringo Starr and Leonard Cohen.
Charlie will be sorely missed and highly favored in the memories of his fans.
Rich is a conservative, syndicated opinion writer and owner of MAGA-Chat.com. He writes about politics, culture, liberty, and faith.
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