​Charlie Daniels is a living legend, at least in my mind. He played guitar on Bob Dylan’s classic Nashville Skyline album and fiddle on many of the early Marshall Tucker Band albums before going out on his own, which I think music lovers of all genres can appreciate. Yes, even metal – Have you played his #1 hit “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock? He may not have liked what he heard, but it opened his music to a whole new generation and genre!

 

Charlie Daniels is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and Musicians Hall of Fame besides being an award winning songwriter, an accomplished musician, a literary author, and has contributed to the country, bluegrass, gospel, and southern rock genres (to name a few), and fills up every venue he performs at and… he’s just released a new live album! Not bad for a guy that recently celebrated his 79th birthday!

 

I won’t tell you your accomplishments, but it goes without saying: you’re a big deal! And I want you to know I'm feeling a little star struck here! 

Good gosh, I'm no star. I'm just a fiddle player that God's been real good too. I don't really consider myself being a star I've just been very blessed that God's allowed me to do what I enjoy and has continued to allow me to do it for long as I possibly can.

 

Let’s start with your new album, CBD Live At Billy Bob’s Texas. How did you choose Billy bob’s?

They kind of picked us. This is part of a series they've been doing for years now. Randy Rogers did one, so did Pat Green, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and a bunch more. They asked us to do one and it’s just right down our alley. We just jumped up went on stage, hooked up to some recording equipment, and there we were. The album is the CBD set for 2015, so tonight, here in Michigan, the set we play is just like the CD.

 

That's cool. Since I've never had the chance to see you perform, I can at least listen to exactly what you sound like. I was looking at your website and I didn’t see a whole lot of upcoming shows. Have you slowed down on touring?

Oh heck no! I do a whole lot of touring; go back on there and look a little harder! We did 107 shows last year, will do about the same this year with ten shows at the Grand Ole Opry and a few charity things on top of it. We stay pretty darn busy, but really that is slowed down from what we used to do. I can't do 200 plus shows anymore and really I have no desire to or need to. The number of shows we do is what I can handle comfortably and I really enjoy it.

 

I would love to see you come down to South Texas.

We are much more about our live show than we are about studio. We'll be in Austin next year. I just saw it on the books, I don't think it's been publicized yet but we will be in Austin.

 

This maybe a strange question, do you have names for your fiddles?

No I don't, I don't think I've ever thought about doing it. A long time ago I had a name for a guitar I had but she was stolen; I called her The Rosewood Lady. But I've never gotten around to naming of my fiddles, maybe I should. (laughs)

 

You have written five books and a huge list of songs; what do you enjoy more writing music or books?

It’s no comparison; music is the big thing in my life and with any of my artistic endeavors music will always take first. I enjoy writing stories and columns; I do a column or two every week on my website. But music always takes precedence.

 

I can remember the first time I heard “Devil Went Down To Georgia” on the local radio country radio station. I remember looking at my mom and saying that’s not country music and she told me, “It is now!”

(laughs) Well it was a number one country song and it did real well in the country field. But really at that time it wasn't the type of music most people would associate with the country genre.

I agree! You definitely were stepping outside the box!

 

Going back to your writing, I know you are deeply involved in politics and, you post columns on your website which I've read many. Do you find that your political views ever get in the way of your music fan base?

No because that's not part of my music, it's not part of my show. It's part of my private personal life and my opinions, the columns and interviews that I do on my website, those are my personal opinions and they don't have anything to do with my musical life; it's not part of my show. People come to see me play not to hear my opinions and that's what we do; my opinions just don't belong on the stage with me.

 

I like the way you put that. Speaking of your personal life and politics you're involved with a program called “The Journey Home Project.” Can you tell me about it?

The Journey Home Project is an outfit that my manager, 3 other people, and I started. It's our way to help service men and women coming back from military service adjust to civilian life. This may not seem like anything to those of us who have not done

it, but for people coming back from service, especially combat areas, it can be a very stressful and traumatic event. We try to help them out in any way we can. And that help could be anything from education so they can get jobs to helping them with getting furniture. Really, it’s whatever we can do to make their journey home easier and less complicated.

 

Wow that is really a truly wonderful program! I personally have known people coming back from military service that were lost in what to do and how to move on.

We are a real small operation, not big like Wounded Warriors or some of the other programs out there. We really just honor our veterans and want to help them out in our own way with the money we raise and we just do the best of our ability to help out. You know everybody has to fill a niche in and this is what we do.

Again I think it's a great program, the best of luck and I hope it just continues to keep building!

 

www.charliedaniels.com