The Charlie Daniels Band to Play MPAC, 11/29

The Charlie Daniels Band performs its greatest hits and a few songs with a touch of the holiday spirit at Mayo Performing Arts Center on Saturday, November 29, 2014 at 8 pm. Tickets are $39-79.

From his Dove Award winning gospel albums to his genre-defining Southern rock anthems and his CMA Award-winning country hits, few artists have left a more indelible mark on America's musical landscape than Charlie Daniels. An outspoken patriot, beloved mentor to young artists and still a road warrior at age 77, Charlie has parlayed his passion for music into a multi-platinum career and a platform to support the military, underprivileged children and others in need.

Raised among the longleaf pines of North Carolina, Charlie began his career playing bluegrass music with the Misty Mountain Boys. After moving to Nashville in 1967, he began making a name for himself as a songwriter, session musician and producer. Elvis Presley recorded a tune Charlie co-wrote titled "It Hurts Me," which was released on the flip side of "Kissin' Cousins." He played on such landmark albums as Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline and tried his hand at producing on the Youngbloods' Elephant Mountain and Ride the Wind.

His own unique voice as an artist emerged as Charlie recorded his self-titled solo album in 1970 for Capitol Records. Two years later he formed the Charlie Daniels Band and the group scored its first hit with the top ten "Uneasy Rider." Since then the CDB has populated radio with such memorable hits as "Long Haired Country Boy," "The South's Gonna Do It Again," "In America," "The Legend of Wooley Swamp" and of course, his signature song, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," which won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1979 as well as single of the year at the Country Music Association Awards.

"I love what I do," says Charlie of his 50-plus years in the music business. "I look forward to entertaining people. When show time gets here, I'm ready to go, ready to go play for them. It's a labor of love. I just thank God I make a living at what I enjoy doing."

Any conversation with the legendary artist, however, rarely includes any of his accomplishments. He'd rather shine the spotlight on the many causes that are close to his heart. He's always been a staunch supporter of the military, and for the past several years has headlined a special concert each spring at David Lipscomb University benefiting the Yellow Ribbon Program which provides scholarships for veterans. In 2012 he welcomed Chris Young, Rascal Flatts, Darryl Worley, the Grascals and actor Gary Sinise to Lipscomb for a great evening of music.
Charlie also lends his time and talent to numerous other charitable organizations, including the Jason Foundation Golf Classic, an organization that targets teen suicide prevention, and the Galilean Children's Home in Liberty, KY, which provides a home for abused and neglected children, "I've been affiliated with them for a long, long time and it's just a great place," Charlie says of the home founded by Jerry and Sandy Tucker. "They take in babies whose mothers are going to prison. They give kids a good stable Christian home and love them. It's just a wonderful place."

Each year Charlie also hosts The Charlie Daniels Celebrity Golf Classic & Angelus Concert in Hudson, FL, a benefit for The Angelus, a full-time residential facility and day school program for the severely handicapped. Charlie is also a member of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Professional Advisory Board and has been a longtime supporter of the T. J. Martell Foundation and its numerous events aiding cancer research. He's also the headliner every year for the Christmas 4 Kids concert at the Ryman Auditorium, which raises money to provide a happy holiday for needy children. "I have a very unique opportunity because of being in the music community," Charlie says of using his celebrity status to aid worthy causes. "You try to give back to some extent. I do feel like people should. We should all do as much as we can."

Mayo Performing Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, presents a wide range of programs that entertain, enrich, and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of Northern New Jersey. The 2014-2015 season is made possible, in part, by a grant the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support received from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, F.M. Kirby Foundation and numerous corporations, foundations and individuals. The Mayo Performing Arts Center has been designated a Major Presenting Organization by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

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