Charlie Daniels, Legendary Fiddle Player, Dies At 83

Charlie Daniels, the iconic fiddle player behind the chart-topping hit “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”, has died of a stroke. He was 83.

A publicist for Daniels confirmed that the Country Music Hall of Fame musician died in a hospital in Hermitage, TN on Monday. Daniels had suffered what doctors classified as a mild stroke back in 2010, had a heart pacemaker implanted in 2013, and continued to perform.

Before launching The Charlie Daniels Band, he made a name for himself working as a session musician for the likes of Bob Dylan (on Nashville Skyline, New Morning, and Self Portrait), Leonard Cohen, and more. In the early 1970’s Daniels could also be heard playing fiddle on albums by the Marshall Tucker Band.

Aside from his studio endeavors, Daniels also organized the first Volunteer Jam concerts in Nashville, TN, beginning in 1974 and continuing until 1996, except for a three-year gap in the 1980s. Daniels also made a cameo as himself in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy, which featured “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” in its soundtrack.

In 2008, Daniels was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and in 2016 the Country Music Hall of Fame.

This is a developing story.