‘He loved the Lord’ and his country, say tributes for singer Charlie Daniels

Tributes continue to pour in days after a memorial for singer Charlie Daniels. A funeral service held at World Outreach Church in Tennessee drew hundreds  of friends and family, including legends in the music industry who celebraetd the country singer’s life.

Daniels was a Christian who spoke openly about his beliefs and faith in Jesus Christ and his patriotism. He passed away at the age of 83 on July 6 from a stroke at the Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee.

During an interview with CBN three years ago, the singer stated that even with all of his accomplishments, there’s one thing that remained constant – his faith.

“I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ…if I can’t take him with me, I don’t want to go. I mean, that’s the only way I can think of to say it. I mean, I don’t want to go anywhere where Jesus can’t go…I don’t want to be without God’s blessings,” he said.

Singer and songwriter Travis Tritt explained that Daniels was never critical of someone else’s thoughts or ideas on religion.

“He was never judgmental or preachy about his beliefs,” Tritt said. “If you believed differently than he did, that was okay. But he wasn’t ashamed to tell you at any given time how much he loved the Lord.”

“I have no doubt that if there’s any person that I’ve ever met that heard the words ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant,’ it was Charlie Daniels this past Monday,” he added.

The funeral began with Carolyn Corlew, a longtime background singer for the Charlie Daniels Band, singing “The Lord is My Shepherd.”

Tritt led the congregation in “Amazing Grace,” Gretchen Wilson sang “I’ll Fly Away” and Trace Adkins revisited his patriotic “Arlington.”

After the funeral, fans lined the streets during the procession to pay respect and for a final farewell.

https://twitter.com/LeanneBurch13/status/1280238979711930372

Over the course of his career, Daniels received numerous accolades, including his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Musicians Hall of Fame, and becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry.  He also won two Dove Awards in 1995 and 1997.

Glad I grew up on these iconic tunes…RIP #CharlieDaniels pic.twitter.com/wMDXdZLWdM

— Rob Foster (@ProDiamUmpAssoc) July 6, 2020

And Daniels supported the military and gave his time and talent to numerous charitable organizations, including The Journey Home Project, that he founded in 2014 with his manager, David Corlew, to help veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

–Christian wire services