Country Artists Remember Charlie Daniels: ‘What a Wonderfully Kind Man’
On social media, where he started each day with a series of faith-filled, pro-life and politically charged tweets, Charlie Daniels' personality read as perhaps a bit abrasive and stubborn. Offline — in person — however, his fellow artists say he was anything but.
The legendary fiddle player was steadfast in his beliefs, yes, but he was also a genuinely good human being. Daniels died on Monday (July 6), and remembrances flowed quickly after news broke — tales of backstage hangs, sweet photos and loving words, all honoring the "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" hitmaker. Travis Tritt recalled Daniels' kindness to him when Tritt was a brand-new opening act, while Scotty McCreery reflects on the pair's shared North Carolina roots. Some offered prayers for Daniels' family, as well.
Daniels died at the age of 83, after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke, at the Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tenn. He had a history of heart problems; in 2013, he needed a pacemaker to regulate his heart.
A Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member, Daniels is survived by his wife Hazel and son Charlie Daniels Jr. Funeral details for the North Carolina native have not yet been made public, but the Mt. Juliet, Tenn., Police Department will escort Daniels' body to Sellars Funeral Home on Monday afternoon.
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