October 28: Happy 79th birthday Charlie Daniels

charlie-daniels

I just thank God I can make a living doing something I enjoy as much as I do playing music.
~Charlie Daniels

I had been on the road for a long time and was not really getting anywhere. Bob Johnston, a friend of mine, had taken over Columbia in Nashville. He asked me if I wanted to come down. I did – thank God I did.
~Charlie Daniels

A talented and showy fiddler, Charlie Daniels and his band fuse hardcore country with a hard-edged Southern rock, boogie, and blues. The group — which has had a rotating cast of musicians over the years — has always been known for its instrumental dexterity, but Daniels and company were also notorious for their down-home, good-old-boy attitude..
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine (allmusic.com)

Charlie Daniels becomes member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2008:

“Devil Went Down to Georgia” | Live at the Grand Ole Opry:

Wikipedia:

Birth name Charles Edward Daniels
Also known as Charlie Daniels
Born October 28, 1936 (age 79)
Origin Leland, North Carolina, United States
Genres Country, rock, southern rock, outlaw country, country rock,bluegrass, blues rock
Occupation(s) Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar, fiddle, bass guitar
Years active 1950s–present
Labels Buddah, Epic, Liberty
Associated acts Marshall Tucker Band
The Charlie Daniels Band
Website www.charliedaniels.com

Charles Edward “Charlie” Daniels (born October 28, 1936) is an American musician, singer and songwriter known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is perhaps best known for his number one country hit “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, and multiple other songs he has written and performed. Daniels has been active as a singer since the early 1950s. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on January 24, 2008 and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.

Daniels is a singer, guitarist, and fiddler, who began writing and performing in the 1950s. In 1964, Daniels co-wrote “It Hurts Me” (a song which Elvis Presley recorded) with Joy Byers. He worked as a Nashville session musician, often for producer Bob Johnston, including playing electric bass on three Bob Dylan albums during 1969 and 1970, and on recordings by Leonard Cohen. Daniels recorded his first solo album, Charlie Daniels, in 1971 (see 1971 in country music). He produced the 1969 album by The Youngbloods, Elephant Mountain and played the violin on “Darkness, Darkness”.

Charlie Daniels w/ Bob Dylan during "Nashville Skyline" recording sessions.
Charlie Daniels w/ Bob Dylan during “Nashville Skyline” recording sessions.

Bob Johnston, Leonard Cohen & Charlie Daniels
Bob Johnston, Leonard Cohen & Charlie Daniels

  • Daniels won the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1979 for “The Devil Went Down to Georgia“, which reached No. 3 on the Hot 100 in September 1979. The following year, “Devil” became a major crossover success on rock radio stations after its inclusion on the soundtrack for the hit movie Urban Cowboy. Daniels appeared in the movie. The song is by far Daniels’ greatest success, still receiving regular airplay on U.S. classic rock and country stations, and is well-known even among audiences who eschew country music in general.
  • Subsequent Daniels pop hits included “In America” (#11 in 1980), “The Legend of Wooley Swamp” (#31 in 1980), and “Still in Saigon” (#22 in 1982).
  • Daniels was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
  • On October 18, 2005, Daniels was honored as a BMI Icon at the 53rd annual BMI Country Awards.
  • Throughout his career, Daniels’ songwriting has garnered 6 BMI Country Awards; the first award was won in 1976 for “The South’s Gonna Do It Again”.
  • In November 2007, Daniels was invited by Martina McBride to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
  • He was inducted by Marty Stuart and Connie Smith during the January 19, 2008, edition of the Opry at the Ryman Auditorium.

Long Haired Country Boy (Late 70’s):

Charlie Daniels Band – 1980 – Rockpalast – Grugahalle, Essen, Germany – 11.28.1980 (1h 14min):

  1. Funky Junky
  2. Trudy
  3. Jitterbug
  4. Legend Of Wooley Swamp
  5. Blindman
  6. Reflections
  7. El Toreador
  8. No Potion For The Pain
  9. In America
  10. Long Haired Country Boy
  11. Uneasy Rider
  12. Cumberland Mountain #9
  13. Devil Went Down To Georgia
  14. The South’s Gonna Do It Again
  15. Orange Blossom Special

-Egil