Charlie Daniels

Charlie Daniels. . , Over the course of a career that began in the late 195Os, singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Charlie Daniels has bridged Southern rock, country, and bluegrass music., Charles Edward Daniels was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Oct. 28, 1936 the son of a tobacco farmer. The Grand Ole Opry was Daniels' first significant influence as he became proficient on guitar, mandolin, banjo and fiddle. In 1953, he formed a bluegrass band, switching later to rock 'n' roll. He made his first record in 1959 as a member of the Jaguars. His producer, Bob Johnston, moved to Nashville and called Daniels to join him. Together they wrote "It Hurts Me," a song that was recorded by Elvis Presley in January 1964., In 1967, Daniels relocated permanently to Nashville to become a session musician. Notably, he was on Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline and Ringo Starr's Beaucoups of Blues. He also produced several rock acts, including Roy Buchanan and the Youngbloods., Forming the Charlie Daniels Band in 1972, Daniels signed with New York pop label Kama Sutra Records, On his first hit, "Uneasy Rider” (No. 9 on the Hot 100 pop chart), he took on the role of a hippie with a flat tire in the Deep South. By the time he scored another pop hit, 1975's "The South's Gonna Do It,” he had identified with nascent Southern rock music and had played on records by Hank Williams Jr., the Marshall Tucker Band, and others., After Kama Sutra folded, Daniels signed with Epic Records. His first No. 1 country hit, "Devil Went Down to Georgia,” placed a new spin on the "deal with the devil” theme and became one of the most popular country songs of all time. Revived by many artists, it has also been used in Olympic gymnastic presentations and featured in movies, including "Urban Cowboy.", In 1974, Daniels produced his first Volunteer Jam featuring a panoply of predominantly Southern artists from across the musical spectrum, reflecting his expansive taste. All but one of the subsequent Volunteer Jam concerts has been staged in the greater Nashville area. On the 20th Volunteer Jam in 2018, Rolling Stone commented, "[It] celebrates all .. sides of Charlie Daniels, but most importantly reaffirms his pivotal role as a bridge between both musical genres and generations.", Daniels has recorded Christian, blues, bluegrass and children's albums, but mostly what he calls "CDB music." Some of his songs and interviews have courted controversy, but Daniels insists that his starting point is unwavering patriotism. His views were codified in a 2003 book, "Ain't No Rag: Freedom, Family, and the Flag." In 2017, he published a memoir, "Never Look at the Empty Seats.", Daniels has a parallel career as a rancher. His Twin Pines Ranch near Lebanon breeds cattle and horses. He lives in Mount Juliet, where a park is named in his honor. He is noted for his philanthropy, targeted especially at servicemen's causes and underprivileged children., The recipient of many awards, Daniels was honored in 2005 as a BMI Icon. In 2008, he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and in 2016 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame., [Caption:] Charlie Daniels performs during Faster Horses Festival on July 22, 2017 in Brooklyn, Michigan.