Charlie Daniels' life was celebrated with a funeral at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on Friday (July 10th). The event was open to the public, and fans turned out in droves. The funeral included a color guard march to Daniels' casket with the U.S. and Tennessee flags, while former U.S. Marine Mark “Oz” Geist recited the pledge of allegiance.
Guest performers who took the stage to pay tribute to the late Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member included Trace Adkins, who performed the patriotic “Arlington;” Vince Gill, who sang “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” and “America the Beautiful;” Travis Tritt, who led the congregation in “Amazing Grace;” and Gretchen Wilson, who honored Daniels with the gospel classic “I’ll Fly Away” while accompanied on piano by Christian artist Michael W. Smith.
While he wasn't in attendance at the funeral, Chris Young says he is among the many who will miss not only the music but the friendship of Charlie Daniels. He tells us: “Charlie Daniels was truly one of a kind, not only for his music, which I can’t tell you how many times I’ve either sung along to and or got up with the band and performed “Devil Went Down To Georgia” somewhere. And that’s just one song of his incredible catalogue but, also who he was as a human being. Just how kind he was to other artists, people who were coming up behind him, that looked up to him, and obviously everything he’s done with the military … I was lucky to know him. And, uh, yeah he’ll be sorely missed.”
Following the service, Daniels was buried at Mt. Juliet Memorial Gardens in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.
Daniels passed away on Monday, July 6th at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee at the age of 83 after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke.