The Untold Truth Of The Late Charlie Daniels

On Monday, July 6th, 2020, publicist Don Murray Grubs confirmed that Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Daniels had passed away at the age of 83, having suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke.

Born October 28th, 1936 in Wilmington, North Carolina, Daniels was a staple of the country music community, having enjoyed a career that spanned more than five decades. He reportedly spent nearly 12 years in a bar band called Jaguar, with early novelty tracks like "Robot Romp." Later moving on to work as a session musician, his early gigs included contributions to albums by Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. In 1964, "It Hurts Me," a song co-written by Daniels and music producer Bob Johnston, was released as an Elvis Presley single. Daniels himself wouldn't receive national attention until 1973 with the release of his third album, Honey In The Rock. The record's breakout hit, a novelty number called "Uneasy Rider," cracked the Billboard Hot 100, topping out at number nine.

But the accomplishment that brought Daniels directly into the international spotlight came in 1979. That's when The Charlie Daniels Band released "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," the now-ubiquitous country foot-tapper that peaked at number three, somehow, at the same time that "My Sharona" was topping the charts.

The surprise success of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" brought Daniels worldwide fame, charting in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., New Zealand, and even the Netherlands.

A decade after its release, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" was certified platinum, with over one million verified records sold, according to the RIAA. Its colorful narrative and undeniable beat made the song an easy target for covers, parodies, and reimaginings. Bands running the gamut of genres from Primus to Michelle Lambert have performed renditions of the tune, substituting fiddles for harmonicas, electric guitars, and in at least one case, gold turntables.

Notably, the song was covered by Steve Ouimette for 2007's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. As part of the level, the player is tasked with beating a CGI devil in a rock off, which Charlie Daniels took exception to, due to the fact that it was possible for the devil to win. Initially calling the inclusion of the song, quote, "kind of amazing" and describing his excitement at the prospect of, quote, "a whole new generation of kids [...] discovering it" in an interview with the Fort Myers News-Press, Daniels would later loudly express his distaste with its presentation. Keep watching the video to see the untold truth of the late Charlie Daniels.

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