RIP Charlie Daniels

[Runwildboys]

Well damn.......

I hate this news. Tell you a story, when I was a kid, I used to work at the Raddison Hotel. I was essentially a Bellman and would deliver the papers in the morning and then drive people to things like the Air Port or local area places, restaurants, car rentals etc. One day, about 4 AM, I was delivering papers and there was this guy standing at the Front Desk in a Red, White and Blue baseball cap, a Tshirt that said Grateful Dead and a pair of running shoes. I looked at him and he looked familiar but I didn't put it together. Anyhow, he wanted to go someplace where he could pick up some breakfast and Coffee and reserve a rental. So I told him that it was probably too early for the rental but that I could probably go talk to a guy and have him either call him or reserve something for him if he told me what he wanted. There were no Starbucks or anything like that back then but that I could go get him a cup of coffee myself if he wanted and that I could probably go back in the kitchen and throw together a Breakfast Burrito if he wanted. Nothing else was really open yet, unless he wanted to go down to the Frontier by the University. So we ended up brewing up a fresh pot of Coffee, he decided to just reserve the car and instead of fixing a Breakfast Burrito (wise move probably), we drove down to the Frontier and he ordered breakfast for him and his Wife. We basically called it in and then went and picked it up.

So the whole while, I'm driving and I'm looking at him and he just looks so familiar. Finally I figured it out. So we are driving and I asked him, "Are you Charlie Daniels?" He answered and said "Yes". He went on to ask that I not let that out. So I did that, he was a really nice guy and we went ahead and picked up breakfast and came on back. Maybe around 1 PM or so, he comes down with his Wife and we load up into the Van to go pick up the car. So I talk to he and his Wife, nice Lady, he asks me where he can go to get some authentic New Mexican food and maybe enjoy a drink where he may not have a lot of issues with fans etc. I actually sent him to Cervantes, which is a local restaurant here, with a bar and it kinda caters to Stars that can go in and not be bothered. The owner really kind protects that and he has a room that is just for that kind of thing. So give them directions, they go on their way and I go back to work. I'm doing my thing and I get a page to the bar. I walk in there and Charlie Hayword is sitting at a table. Charlie Hayword is the Base and also a writer for the band. So he has like 20 napkins in front of him with lyrics written on them. He asks me if there is someplace he can get this typed up? So I take it to the Secretary for the GM of the Hotel and ask here if she can type it up, which of course she does not want to do. So I tell here it's for Charlie Daniels and that changed everything. So she does it and I take it back after maybe 20 minutes and the guy thanks me stands up. I try to give him back the napkins and he tells me, he doesn't need them. So I kept them up until I got divorced from my first wife. She threw out all my stuff and so I lost them then.

They were in Albuquerque to play the State Fair and after a couple of days they checked out but before he checked out, he left me $500 dollars in an envelope, which was a hell of a lot of money back then.

He was a down to earth guy and his Wife was really nice. I hate to hear the he's passed.

RIP Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020)

Great story, ABQ!

 

[kskboys]

We had him for two concerts when I was in radio in OK and while he was a really nice guy, I never liked his music, it was never Southern Rock to me but then again, anyone other than The Allman Brothers were not in my book. He was a real down to earth guy and if you didn't know who he was, you wouldn't know who he is.

My wife and I were on his tour bus at his last show and he was really accommodating and we were leaving and she said "I thought you didn't like his music"? "I don't but I like him and this balances all of the aholes that make the music I do like".

He got a kick out of our reminiscing about the opening of the Superdome, he headlined along with the Allmans, and the air filtration system malfunctioning with 75,000 dope smoking Southern Rockers making such a cloud that actually rained on the people on the field. It was actually condensation with the humidity but it misted pretty good on them and we even felt it up ion the stands.

Try "Every Time I See Him"

Great song that never made it big.

And I can still listen to "In America" multiple times.

I honestly can't see what you wouldn't like. He's got a unique sound and well written stuff.

 

[rags]

RIP, Charlie Daniels.

My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

 

[cowboyec]

☆devil went down to georgia
☆the legend of wooly swamp
☆in america
☆simple man
☆long haired country boy
sooo many great tunes from one of the greatest story tellers.
one of my all-time favorite Elvis songs...It Hurts Me...a true essential...was written for Elvis by Charlie Daniels.
true icon.
he'll be missed.
thank The LORD for his music.

 

[CouchCoach]

Try "Every Time I See Him"

Great song that never made it big.

And I can still listen to "In America" multiple times.

I honestly can't see what you wouldn't like. He's got a unique sound and well written stuff.

Just not my cup o tea in music. I appreciate his talent but his music just never struck the right chord with me.

That said, I did enjoy his shows because that's more like an event and seeing the type crowd he drew was always a kick. He was one of those few that could bring 8 to 80 and everyone had a good time. At both shows we did, I saw quite a few 3 generations of family and fans.

 

[Doomsday101]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kB7OR161-U

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

“If there’s a rock n roll heaven... they’ve got to have a hell of a band”

RIP