Charlie Daniels and his band have entertained millions of people around
the world with their perfomances and recordings for over four decades.
And their popularity just increases with time and bridges the generation
gap. Many of the young men and women serving in the armed forces of
America weren't even born when Charlie wrote and recorded "The Devil
Went Down To Georgia." But they love it and The Charlie Daniels Band.
"So much so," says Charlie, "that if we left it out of our fourteen
song set we'd have a riot on our hands."
The man is passionate about his music, people, America, the armed
forces, children, and his golf which he admits that he is little more
than a duffer. But it's the music that impassions the millions of
Charlie Daniels Band fans around the world. And that music encompasses
rock, country, blue grass, blues, and gospel. In his own words, "It's
purely American music with something for everyone."
Although born in Wilmington, North Carolina, Charlie Daniels considers
himself a true-blue Tennessean. Legendary producer and label head
Bob Johnston convinced Charlie to move to Nashville and the two later
co-wrote "It Hurts Me" which was recorded by Elvis Presley and put
on the flip side of "Kissin' Cousins."
But there's a lot more to the man than his music.
IT'S PAYBACK TIME.
A BMI Icon and multiple award winner including Grammys, CMAs, and
even Playboy, Charlie Daniels said to me, "Life has been very good
to me and I want to give something back to America and its young men
and women who are fighting to keep us free, to our children, and to
all of those who are less fortunate." Charlie and his band have been
doing just that since 1985 when he helped inaugurate the Farm Aid
concerts.
Later came the annual
Volunteer Jam concerts that benefit several charities. There have
been sixteen of the them since the first in 1977. Charlie hopes to
do them again if artists' schedules permit. And then there are the
many tours and concerts that The Charlie Daniels Band has done to
entertain our troops in South East Asia, Iraq and Germany.
"There has always been a place in my heart for the brave men and women
of our armed forces. When I was a child in World War II, I was in
awe of them. They placed themselves in harm's way to protect our freedoms.
I feel I owe them. I wish that all Americans could spend just one
day among those who defend their country in Iraq and Afghanistan,"
he added," They live in constant danger in dusty, desolate desert
camps, wearing body armor in sweltering weather, and missing their
loved ones. Our trips there only re-inforced what I already knew,
the American forces are the finest in the world. I can't even articulate
my love and admiration for them."
On a recent trip to Southwest Asia to entertain our men and women
in uniform, Charlie and his band found that many of them played musical
instruments of one kind or another. But the amount of instruments
available to them was strictly limited. So The Charlie Daniels Band
launched Operation Heartstrings asking companies in the music and
entertainment industry to contribute.
Supporting our troops is not without its danger. During a recent trip
to Iraq, The Carlie Daniels Band was dodging bullets from small arms
fire at their helicopters on the way to Bagdad. Obviously they had
a guardian angel watching over them so they could continue their good
works.
Speaking of angels,
January 27 through 29 was the 16th Annual Charlie Daniels Celebrity
Golf Tournament and concert in Tampa, Florida to benefit The
Angelus, an organization that helps disabled patients and children.
That's a lot of giving from a seemingly tireless philanthropist and
his band.
HUMANITARIAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR.
In addition to all the volunteer charity work that Charlie Daniels
does he is on the board of Danny Thomas' St. Jude Hospital in Memphis,
Tennessee. Not bad for a guy who was once dubbed as an outlaw of Music
City. Charlie begs to differ, "I'm not an outlaw, I'm an outcast.
When it gets down to the nitty gritty, I've just tried to be who I
am. I've never followed trends or fads. I couldn't even if I tried.
I can't be them; I can't be anybody but me."
The Charlie Daniels Band will be performing for other charitable events
during 2006. In addition they have a new album in the works of seventies
type music, then they're off again to entertain our troops in South
Korea this October when Charlie turns seventy. I guess it will be
a rice wine toast!
In appreciation
of Charlie Daniels and his band's many good works over the years,
Nashville Music Guide has elected to present them with the 1st Annual
Nashville Music Guide Humanitarian Artist of The Year Award. Congratulations,
Charlie, you have certainly reaped a rich harvest!
